


To (not) Kill a Cat

by QueenPlatypus



Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: Alternate Universe - Assassins & Hitmen, Assassin Marinette, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, F/M, Ladrien | Adrien Agreste/Marinette Dupain-Cheng as Ladybug, Oblivious Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir, Protection, Target Adrien
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-01-20
Updated: 2020-07-13
Packaged: 2021-02-27 10:07:20
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 9
Words: 22,388
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22325299
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/QueenPlatypus/pseuds/QueenPlatypus
Summary: Ladybug is a skilled assassin. She had been trained to become one ever since she turned seven, slowly becoming one of the very bests there has ever been. At 21 years old, Ladybug has more kills than everyone else in the entire Agency. Their mission: killing the dangerous powered people before they cause any harm… Or so she thought.Ladybug gets assigned a new target: a man her age named Adrien Agreste. She needs to get rid of him and fast. No exceptions.
Relationships: Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir/Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug
Comments: 16
Kudos: 67





	1. A New Assignement

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi guys! Welcome to another one of my fantastic AUs (I mean, I sure hope so!). I know I have other works awaiting for updates, but that doesn't mean I have to stop myself from posting others (is that even healthy?)! So, here you go! I don't know if this has been done before, but anyway, I'm still giving it a try! Enjoy!

This specific target had been a challenging one. Ladybug rarely found a target to actually match her and she had to admit, she almost found the entire situation amusing. But his capacity to return back in time to checkpoints he set up was starting to get on her nerves. She wasn’t sure how many tentatives she went through, but she knew that this target had restarted the whole encounter enough times to remember what she would do. 

But it was _okay_. Ladybug was trained for this. 

Fourteen years of training under her belt, learning all sorts of fighting techniques, with or without any weapon. And… She  _ knew _ about his power. Every time anyone of their crew had a new assignment, the superpower the target possessed was mentioned. Ladybug knew perfectly who she would be fighting and, even when she picked up he knew what was her next move, she was good enough to change into another that he hadn’t known about. This is what made possible for her to slip behind him, hold his arms in his back while she brought her dagger up to his throat, forcing him to stop moving. Ladybug felt the sweat going down her throat and she breathed heavily: even if she managed to restrain him, he still managed to tire her. 

“No more  _ second chances _ now.” She whispered in his ear.

“No, please! Don’t do this! I… I’ll do whatever you want! What have I ever done to you?”

“It’s nothing personal, sweetheart. Sweet dreams.”

In one smooth move, she slit his throat with the blade of her dagger, holding the target against her body as the life left his own. When he was not convulsing anymore, she let his body fall on the floor with a thud. Cleaning up the blade from the blood before putting it back in its holster attached to her belt, she picked up her phone, calling the single number on it.   


“Yes.”

“It’s Ladybug. The job is done.”

“Very well. Send us your location so we can send the cleaners after you. A helicopter will come and pick you up, the boss has a special mission for you.”

_ So soon?  _ She whined mentally.

“Of course. I’m sending my position now, Mayura.” 

Hanging up, she sent up her position and picked up her belongings: for instance, her yo-yo. Then, she walked up to look at the lifeless body in front of her and kneeled, closing the man’s blue eyes with her gloved hand. Looking at him, she thought it was a shame such a handsome guy had such a terrible power. From the file she received describing him, his name was Luka Couffaine and he was a music student from France studying abroad in the United States. She laughed at the thought, that was a common point they shared. The first years of her life, she grew up there. She was born in Paris from… Well, a mother. Just like anybody else. Yet, she knew nothing about her nor her biological father. Not that she cared anyway. 

Her teachers and caretakers when she was growing up always told her that they were nobody and simply put her up for adoption as soon as she got out of the womb. Then, she spent the next miserable first years of her life in an orphanage before she was picked up by Tikki and brought to the Agency’s headquarters, a little private island in the Pacific ocean where, along with other kids just like her, she would learn the fine arts of being an assassin for the greater good. 

Ladybug’s childhood was… Special, she guessed. Mostly not like any other normal kids all around the world, but she prefered it that way. She did not have a single day where she did nothing. 

Everyday, she had to wake up at 5:30 to eat breakfast, get changed and go on with two hours of morning training. After it, the rest of the morning before lunchtime hit was for normal school where she learned what any other kid with access to schooling would: she had math classes, history lessons, science courses and languages. To this day, Ladybug was fluent in six other languages than french: english, spanish, mandarin chinese, german, japanese and italian. After lunch, she had a pause of four hours before she had her normal training. First, to keep her in shape: increase her physical endurance, make her more strong. Then, close combat following soonly with weapon fighting. At the end of all of this, she had dinner, went under the shower to clean herself before she finally had three hours of free time. She had to be in bed for 10:15 at most if she wanted to beneficiate of a good sleep. 

Finally, the cleaners came inside the place and Ladybug showed them what they had to cover. Being done, she got out using the window and climbed up until she was on the roof. Then, using her yo-yo to swing, she landed on the meeting point just in time for the helicopter to drop the ladder. Ladybug climbed it and got inside the cabin where she was greeted with a glass of water that she gulped. After a few minutes of flying, the helicopter landed. Ladybug got out, already knowing where she had to go. Even if the island had the headquarters, the Agency had many offices settled all around the world. Of course, all the belongings were registered under a fake company name: the Agency was a top-secret operation and always made sure to leave no traces wherever they went. And it had to stay that way. To open the door, she entered the code and proceeded to the DNA tests.

“Welcome, Ladybug.”

“Thanks, Markov. Where is he?”

“He’s waiting for you in room number four.”

“Perfect.”

Ladybug headed there and took off the mask that covered her face, now that she knew it was safe enough to do so. She took a deep breath, nervous as always upon seeing the boss. He had such a prestance… It gave her an uneasy feeling, she wasn’t sure why. Maybe it was because of who he was? Anyway, Ladybug didn’t question it. What mattered the most was to keep the world safe from all those supernatural freaks. She knocked.

“Come in.”

Ladybug pushed the door and got in the room before she closed the door behind her.

“You wanted to see me, Hawkie?” She asked with a smirk. 

He sighed, annoyed at the nickname she liked to give him. While he probably thought it was due to a lack of discipline, she did it only so she could feel more at ease around him. Seriously, Hawk Moth was such an intimidating person: his eyes were cold as ice and he always stood so straight not even bacterias dared to touch him. 

“Ladybug. Congratulations on the success of your mission. Although I should say I’m not surprised. You always deliver.”

She wanted to grin upon hearing him praise. It wasn’t everyday Hawk Moth, the boss, got to personally congratulate the agents. But she knew such a behaviour wouldn’t do her any good. The only way she would gain his respect is by pretending to be stoic. 

“Thank you, sir. I’ve heard you’ve got a new mission for me?”

“Indeed I do. Sit down.”

Ladybug did as she was told and Hawk Moth slid towards her a file. 

“I’m giving you this mission because I believe you’re the only one talented enough to take care of this…  _ situation _ . This target is unlike any other anyone here has ever faced.”

“I’m intrigued. Why did you chose me and not a more experimented agent?”

“You took down a man who had the power to go back to checkpoints to win. Everything was against you and yet… You succeeded. Your talent and creativity are unique capacities. From all the agents, I believe this target’s life has only seconds left if you take care of it.”

Ladybug grinned and, upon the nod of Hawk Moth, opened up the file.

“The target’s name is Adrien Agreste. He is 21 years old and currently lives in Paris, France.”

“Well, so I’ll pay a visit to my hometown, I see? Interesting.” 

“You’ll be a tourist after the mission is done, if you wish. But when you’ll get to Paris, your first concern will be to kill him.”

“Fair enough. Anyway, what is so ‘unlike the others’ about him? He seems like a normal guy.”

Ladybug would not say it out loud in front of her boss, but she also thought, at least according to the three pictures joined to the file, that he looked  _ very  _ good. Blonde hair that seemed to shine even in the darkest night with sparkling green eyes? Who could not be attracted to that? But it didn’t mattered. If he was a target, he had to die. He was too dangerous to be kept alive. 

“His power is destruction.”

Ladybug snorted.

“Wait, that’s it? Destruction? That’s nothing! I just need to be careful where I step and tada!”

“Ladybug, do not underestimate him. Even if it sounds like nothing, his power is of great importance. If it goes out of control, he could destroy the whole world with a single snap of his fingers. This operation is delicate.”

“Okay, okay… So, when do I leave?”

“In three days. After the success of your last mission, I believe you deserve to rest for a moment.”

“How considerate of you, Hawkie.”

“Don’t call me that.”

He sighed.

“If you do it fast and well, I might consider… Giving you a higher rank in the Agency. I was thinking maybe… the title of Scarlet Killer?”

Ladybug’s eyes widened.

“R-Really? You want me to become the new Scarlet Killer? That would be an honor!”

“ONLY if you succeed, nothing else. Do you understand?” 

“Hum hum. I’m free to do what I please?”

“As long as it is reasonable, yes. You can go now, you have some fresh clothes ready for you in the next room on your right and a car is waiting to bring you to your hotel for the next three days. I suggest you take a better look at this new target of yours in the meantime.”

“I will.”

She got up and started to walk towards the door.

“Oh, and Ladybug?”

“Yes?”

“You know what happens if you fail. Just a reminder. Do not forget that.”

She snickered.

“How could I when you put it so gently, hum?”

Leaving the room with the file under her arm, Ladybug entered the second room so she could get changed. The clothes waiting for her were not exactly glamorous, a grey hoodie with a pair of jeans, but they would help her fade through the population as if she was just a normal girl with a normal life. Stripping down and slipping her gear inside the sport bag she had, she soonly left the building, entering the car that was waiting for her. Dropping her to the hotel, she got out of the car without a word and she entered the lobby, heading for the reception.

“Hi. I have a reservation for three nights. My name is Angelina Li.” She said. 

“Of course. May I see some identification?”

“Sure, here.”

Ladybug took out the fake ID she used whenever she was in the United States. The man behind the counter examined it and nodded, thinking it was a real piece of identification and pursued his search. 

“Yes, the penthouse, correct?”

“Indeed.” She said with a smirk.

Ladybug was pleased about that. So, this was her reward for taking care of the checkpoints target? She was certainly not going to refuse it. 

“Okay, all of the payments have already been taken care of, as I see here. So… Here is your keycard. We hope you have a nice stay.”

“Thank you. Have a great night.”

Picking up her keycard and heading towards the staircase, Ladybug quickly climbed the 40 floors. She avoided the elevator at any cost: as she was thought, those were the perfect death traps. Ladybug always made sure to take them only if there was no other alternative. Finally, she was able to get inside the penthouse and she grinned upon seeing it. 

“The best room for the best agent, hum? I like it.”

Ladybug advanced in the penthouse, taking it all into view. She stopped before the window, watching the rest of the city at her feet for a while before she put down her bag and headed to the bathroom to take a shower. She undid her pigtails and stripped out of her clothes, turning up the water in the meantime, before she slipped under it, sighing as the warm drops fell on her. She washed her hair and her whole body (on which they were some traces of the previous target’s blood) in a few minutes before she dried up and headed out in the room. She slipped on more comfortable clothes for the night and took out the file off her bag to read it more carefully. 

First, she looked more closely to the pictures inside the file. She took in every detail of his head: untamed golden hair, emerald-green eyes, genuine smile. According to the file, the target was tall: 1m92. He also seemed… happy. In some of the photos, he was surrounded by a few other guys which Ladybug supposed were his friends. Putting the pictures aside, Ladybug continued to read about her new target. He was a student at the Sorbonne, had a part-time job in a clothing shop and lived in a flat in the middle of Paris all by himself. She also read that his father was out of the picture since he was five and that his mother mysteriously disappeared when he was 13, leaving him under the care of the Lahiffe family until he moved out when he turned 18. 

Ladybug kept on reading the target’s file. She saw that the guy knew how to play piano and, in his teenage years, used to have many extra-curricular activities. He took fencing classes, was part of the lacrosse team, the basketball team and also volunteered for many non-profit organisations. It seemed this target was very invested socially: maybe this was a lame attempt at hiding who he truly was. If it seemed he was doing good in this world, no one would suspect how much of a monster he was. Ladybug scoffed: she absolutely hated liars and usurpers. 

But she knew better. People like him were absolute monsters and they had to be stopped. It didn’t matter they were born with their superpowers, they would all end up using them to cause harm to the world as it already happened in the past. Those informations were transformed for the public, but Ladybug knew the truth. All the great miseries that occured in the world like the Black Plague, slavery and colonialism, the two world wars… All of them because of superpowered people and their twisted (in a wicked way) minds. What this target showed was only a wall, some masquerade. 

Ladybug tossed the file aside as she settled into the bed. She sighed upon feeling how comfortable it was. The sheets were soft, the mattress was not hard… Ladybug felt as if she was in a fluffy cloud. Picking up the TV remote, she turned the screen on and looked at the channels before settling on some old movie. She got up to go brush her teeth and turn the lights off. Slipping again into the warm bed, she watched the movie for a while and felt her eyes slowly coming to a close. She grabbed the remote, closed the TV and turned on her left side, finally closing her eyes to enjoy this well-deserved night of sleep. 


	2. Recognition

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Because you've only had one chapter so far, here's another one, to set the story a little better. Enjoy!

Coming back to Paris always made Ladybug feel bittersweet. 

This city was her birthplace, the one where she opened her eyes for the first time, the one where she learned to walk, to speak, to write… Yet, it was also the city where she had to learn to fend for herself at a young age until Tikki came to get her out of the shithole of an orphanage she lived in.

To this very day, Ladybug did not understand why Paris was one of the most visited and loved cities in the world. Sure, there was some beauty in the architecture all over the town. But… What else? The people usually sucked and were impolite, the main streets and boulevards were always crowded and… Paris sucked. The city of love? More like the city of loss. 

But whatever were her personal thoughts of the French capital, Ladybug still got out of the studio the Agency had rented under her fake french name: Brigitte Thavaud. She was in Paris and she had no time to lose: she had to get over with her mission. She was not planning on killing her new target that exact same day: that would be too much work and it would get complicated. Ladybug had a much better method which required physical recognition. Fortunately for her, Mayura was able to find the target’s personal schedule and sent it to Ladybug, providing her all of the man’s moves in the city this week. First things first: she had to keep a close eye on him and figure out what would be the perfect moment for her to strike. 

“What the hell does he want to do in some Collège? He’s not some middle-schooler anymore!” She whined. 

Even if she did not fully understand why the target would go to such a place, she still headed to the address using the metro to do so. Ladybug did not want to attract unrequited attention over herself so she acted as if she was like any other parisian woman: for this day, she was just a normal girl with a normal life. As a matter of fact, she left most of her gear in her flat, only taking with her her usual yo-yo in case she was in need of a quick escape and one of the many daggers that she had. The dagger was attached to her thigh and was hidden by the fluffy skirt she was wearing. She only took a purse with her, in which she had some euros, a notepad and a pencil. She also had a hair tie on her wrist, in case she was in need to tie her hair quickly.

Ladybug got out of the metro and found herself on the other side of the street, facing the school. She grinned, then found a place to hide from view to spy on the school’s surroundings without looking suspicious. To pretend she was not waiting for someone to appear, she took out her notepad and pretended to be drawing, looking up from time to time. 

Then, she saw him and froze. There he was, walking towards the school with a sports bag on his shoulder and talking on the phone. She shut out all the noises, trying to listen to what he was saying.

“Really, it’s no trouble, Mr. D’Argencourt. It’s my pleasure. I’m already there. So, tell me again, how many lessons do you want me to cover for you? Oh, that should be fine. Seriously, take your time, okay? You need to be with your wife more than anything else right now. Everything will be fine here, I can manage. Okay, you’re not worried anymore?  _ He chuckled.  _ Alright, I’ll call you back when I’m done. Bye.”

Ladybug frowned. A lesson? As far as she knew, the target was not a teacher. Besides… Since when was there school on Saturdays? She waited for him to get inside the building before she got up as well, following him inside after a few moments. As she got inside the school, she saw she was in the court and that he was nowhere to be seen. 

“Relax… He probably went to the bathroom or something. Just concentrate on finding a spot to watch him from a-”

“Can I help you, mademoiselle?” 

Ladybug shrieked and jumped away, turning towards the voice at the same time. There she was, facing her target that looked at her with surprise.

“Oh, my apologies, I didn’t mean to startle you.”

“N-No. It’s… I wasn’t expecting you and…”

She let out an awkward chuckle, but then, straightened. Quickly, she thought of the first strategy to make it seem as if she wasn’t supposed to be here. She had it in an instant: faking she was lost. And maybe play dumb if that wasn’t enough.

“Anyway… What was it you were saying?” She asked, innocently. 

“I was asking if you needed help with something. You seemed confused, that’s all.” He said, truthfully.

“Oh! Well… Huh… I got lost, actually. I have no idea where I am, in fact! Well, from the looks of it, I guess we’re in a school, maybe a collège? Anyway...”

The target let out a chuckle and it made Ladybug stop. This was not much, but his start of a laugh felt… warm? It was enough to make Ladybug wanting to hear his full laugh. 

“You’re not from here, are you?” He asked. 

“What? Why do you say that?”

“Well, I can reassure you it has nothing with your bubbling. But, not only you’re unsure of a location, it is also the first time I see you around. So, first time in Paris?”

“Huh… No, I was born here actually. I just haven’t returned in… a while.”

He nodded.

“I see. Well, wherever it is you want to go, maybe I can help you out.” He offered. 

“Oh… Huh… I don’t want to bother you… I’m sure you have better stuff to do right now.”

“Not really, actually. The students I’m teaching are not coming in until half-an-hour.”

“The students? You’re a teacher then?” She asked, twirling a lock of hair with her finger.

He eyed the finger for a short instant before he reported his entire attention to her face. 

“Kind-of substitute, actually. I’m jumping in on a fencing lesson. My master in arms when I was a teenager had an appointment to the doctor with his wife for an echography.”

“Oh, fencing? That’s interesting! And… congratulations to him!”

“I’ll pass the message. But now, where did you want to go? I promise I don’t plan to stalk you in the plans to kill you later or something.”

At this particular sentence, Ladybug burst out in laughter. The target looked at her with wide eyes like she just went mad or something: this is what made her calm down. 

“Sorry.” She said. 

He shrugged and smiled.  _ So cute.  _

“It’s fine. I just wasn’t expecting you to explode in laughter like that.”

“I didn’t either…”

“If you don’t want to tell me, that’s fine, though. I won’t be mad about it.”

“No, that’s not it… You might be able to assist me, actually…”

Ladybug searched in her mind for some place to say.

“I was… looking for the Saint-Martin canal! Yeah… I’m supposed to meet my aunt there. But by the looks of the streets around us, I guess I’m a bit far from any water, huh?” 

“A bit, but you can still get there from here. I can show you on your phone.”

“I huh… I left it at home! This is kind of why I got lost in the first place…”

“Right, otherwise you could have used it from the start. Alright, so what you need to do from here is…”

Ladybug pretended to be listening to him as he gave his explanations and kept looking at his face, nodding at times and letting out sounds to make it seems as if she understood. Truth be told, she was mostly captivated by his face. He was already good-looking in the pictures she got of him… But seeing him in front of her was even better. Ladybug was sure that he could easily be a model if he wanted to. Really, she might have kept this man for herself if he wasn’t a target. 

“So, you got it?”

“I think I do… Thank you, huh…”

“Adrien.” He said with a smile. 

Ladybug nodded. She already knew his name, but he didn’t have to know that. 

“Thank you, Adrien. I’ll take my leave now. Have a nice substitute experience!”

She turned away from him and started to walk away.

“Wait! What about you?” He asked.

“What about me?” She asked with a smirk.

“Well… What’s  _ your _ name?”

Ladybug grinned and chuckled and turned to him once more. 

“If I told you, it wouldn’t be a secret anymore, now, would it?”

She let out a giggle upon seeing his smile fall and she nodded at him one last time before heading out. 

As soon as she was out, she groaned. Great, now, she had to be even more careful to keep a close eye on him. First, it implied getting inside the school by another way. It was the time for her to use her yo-yo. Looking for an alley, Ladybug slipped in it and took out her object. This accessory in the shape of the popular toy was her favourite. When she was a child, this was the only toy she was allowed to have and to keep in the orphanage. When she was seven, she already knew many techniques with a yo-yo. So much in fact that when she started her training, she wanted to have a yo-yo as a battle tool. 

What was nice with the Agency was the fact that every agent had their special tool. It could be anything but you had to convince the high instances that the tool you wanted could truly be useful. For example: she knew Hawk Moth’s tool was a cane while Mayura’s was a range. Ladybug still had no idea how Mayura was able to convince the high instances to have one when she was Ladybug’s age, but she did and that’s all that mattered. 

Upon being approved, the technical team started to work on it, bringing her special yo-yo to life. Upon seeing it for the first time, Ladybug instantly loved it. To this day, she did not know how the technical team managed to conceive it, but she didn’t mind. The string was flexible yet strong so it could lift her in the air really high when she used it like a grappling hook without breaking. Its body was hard enough to break stuff but not get shattered or broken in return: this way, she could also use it as a shield by spinning it in front of her quickly. 

Making sure no one could see her, Ladybug threw the yo-yo up and hooked it in a gutter before she pulled, making her go up. She landed on the school’s roof and looked for a door or some ladder to get down. Not seeing any, she sighed before approaching the border, looking down. Seeing the target was nowhere to be seen, she used her yo-yo to get down on what was the second floor. Then, she stayed hidden from view as the students started to come in. Getting comfortable and being sure no one would come to bother her where she was, she kept on watching as the lesson started, with the target stepping in the role of teacher. Through the two lessons he gave, she kept her eyes on him, watching his every move. Of course, he didn’t do much, but from the looks of it, there was no doubt the target had experience. She took a mental note to herself to not engage with him in sword fighting or anything that might look like it. If she wanted to get over it quick, she had to make sure she had the higher ground. 

The fencing lessons ended and, after he got changed into his usual clothes, Ladybug continued to follow him discreetly as he went on with his day. He got inside the shop he had his job and she waited inside a café on the other side of the street, waiting for him to finish his work shift: after all, she couldn’t get inside the shop without being seen by him or another employee or even the security cameras. It was part of the methodology: to leave no trace of her passing in her target’s life just in case the police decided to open an investigation. 

As his shift ended, the target got out of the shop and walked away. Paying for the muffin she bought, Ladybug quickly followed him, keeping a good distance between the both of them so she could keep an eye on him while he didn’t feel followed. 

The target first went to a grocery store and picked up a few items before leaving with another bag to carry. After a fifteen-minute walk, the target took out his set of keys and pressed something against a pad. The light turned green and he entered the building.

“So… This is where he lives.”

Ladybug knew the number of his flat: the 412. But if she wanted to access it in a subtle manner so no one would see she broke and entered, she had to find a way to do so  _ legally.  _ For the main door, it wouldn’t be a problem: she simply had to hack the frequency of the pad near the door into one of her devices so it would unlock for her. But… The difficult thing was to have his apartment key. She had to find a way to get its printing so she could forge it, or ask a locksmith to cut one. 

She decided she better come back here at night, so for now, Ladybug took her leave and returned to the studio. There, she grabbed a bite before she prepared all the tools she would need for the first part of her mission. She had the plans of the building sent to her, so she knew where the target’s flat would be. After memorising the plans, she got herself ready. She got dressed with her usual work attire, which was mainly black but with red parts: a sleeveless shirt covered by half of a jacket that possessed a hood, gloves that went up to her elbows, dark pants with no pockets that allowed her flexibility and knee-high combat boots. She tied up her hair into two pigtails using two red hair ties and put on the special glue on her face. That being done, she took her mask, a red one with five black spots, and pressed it. She held it for a few seconds and let go before making some tests to make sure it would hold in place and that it was still comfortable for her. 

As everything was on point, she prepared her work gear. Putting on her tools belt, she chose the materials she would need for tonight, since she did not plan to kill the target right away. The portable Markov assistant so she could hack into the entrance’s magnetic lock pad, the spyglass, her yo-yo, a burner phone, and a dagger just in case she would need it. And also slipped a foldable one inside her boot. She left the rest of the gear here, not seeing any point in taking it if she did not plan to use it. 

Heading to the window, she opened it, feeling the cold breeze coming. She still took out her yo-yo, watched up and threw it so she could climb on the roof. Once she was there, she started to run, swinging her yo-yo once more as she lept, heading quickly to the target’s building. A few minutes later, she landed on a roof that, according to her calculations, would allow her to have a perfect view on the target’s flat without being near a street light. She smirked, seeing she was right. She put on her hood to cover herself, making her almost invisible in the dark night. 

She saw him, drying his hair with a towel and he went on and sat on a grey couch, picking up what seemed to be a remote before pressing a few buttons, laying back on the couch.

“No point in standing here to watch him as he watches TV…” She mumbled to herself. 

Ladybug jumped down, swinging her yo-yo to secure her landing as she got in front of the main entrance. She acted quick: taking out the portable Markov device, she pressed on one of the buttons to let out the bug that would assure the hacking. Glueing it on the side of the magnetic pad, she took off once more, returning to her previous point.

“Markov, find the appropriate frequency to enter the building.” She said.

“Of course, Ladybug. Calculating…”

“And see if this door over there also requires a magnetic frequency to open it or only metal keys.”

“Verification… Only metal keys are required to open the apartment’s door, Ladybug.”

She nodded. Now, she simply needed to find a way to get the correct key pattern to get inside the flat without being noticed. 

Her reflexion was cut short by the target approaching the window and looking outside. She watched him as he seemed to be… searching something. Taking out her spyglass, she looked more closely at him, watching him frown. Then, he stepped back and pulled the curtains, covering everything. Oh well. That would be it for tonight.

“I found the frequency, Ladybug, and I saved it already. It would be ready for transfer whenever you need it.”

“Awesome. Thank you, Markov.”

“You’re welcome. Don’t forget to pick out the bug.”

“Yes, I won’t.”

As it seemed the target headed to bed, Ladybug shrugged. Before she left, she picked up the bug and returned it to its initial location before she took off, returning to the studio. She almost had anything to assure the mission’s success. Now, all that was left was to find the appropriate moment and to get the key.


	3. Big Brother?

Everyone was happy as they wished Nathaniel a happy birthday in a song. In the middle of the group, the redhead was blushing from head to toe as he wasn’t very used to getting so much attention. But that did not stop Adrien and his other friends to sing even louder in the VIP section of the club where they were celebrating his birthday. The song came to an end and the group clapped. 

“Nath! Nath! Nath! Nath!” 

“Okay, guys that’s enough! You’re embarrassing him!” Said Marc, in half of a chuckle. 

As the chatter continued and the guys downed yet another drink, Adrien watched from afar, a glass of whisky in his hand. As one part of the group decided to go on the dancefloor to goof off, Adrien stayed behind, enjoying the view… At least as much as he could because of the uneasy feeling coursing through him. Soon enough, Nino joined him.

“Hey dude. Having fun?” He asked.

“It’s a great night… I’m glad Nathaniel gets to be with all of his friends.”

“Yeah, and yet, you’re tense.”

Adrien frowned as Nino looked at him knowingly.

“That obvious?”

“Maybe not to the others, but we lived together for years before you moved out on your own. You know you’re like a brother to me. So, what’s up?”

“Okay… Huh, could you keep this to yourself?”

“Sure.”

“Okay. For the past few days… I’m feeling like I’m being… I don’t know how to explain it… I feel like I’m being watched.”

Nino frowned.

“What do you mean by that?”

“I’m not sure… I just- I don’t know. It’s complicated. It’s just that… Basically… I always feel like somebody’s  _ watching _ me. Watching my every move.”

“Like a stalker or something?”

“Yeah… But also no. Like I said, it’s complicated. Because this feeling is not always there. But it mostly is. I can be in my bathroom peeing and it’s okay. But the moment I get out of it, it appears again. Kind of weird, right?”

“Dude, did you read 1984 again and have Big Brother withdrawals?”

“No… Nino, I’m serious. I…”

“Look, I don’t say I don’t believe you. But I think you should relax a bit. Like seriously, who would do something like this? And now, we’re out to have some fun, right? It’s not every week-end we can go out on a Sunday because the next day is a holiday. We’re here for Nath, and that means you too. And if you still don’t feel secure or whatever later, I can go sleep in your flat to give you some company. Sounds good?”

Adrien nodded, gulped the rest of his drink and followed his best friend on the dancefloor. He did as his friend recommended: letting go of what he was feeling and enjoy the party. He goofed off with his friends on the dancefloor, had a drinking contest with Ivan, flirted ungracefully with some girls, drank a bit more… He still felt like someone was watching him, but he stopped caring. 

But then, he felt sick and decided to go outside for some fresh air. The instant he did two steps outside of the club, Adrien fell on his knees and vomited the contents of his stomach on the sidewalk. He didn’t move and coughed a few times, finally deciding he should not have drank that much. But what was done was done and he just wanted to get home and rest. 

“Partied too much?” He heard.

Adrien’s head shot up and, although his vision was blurry, could still see a silhouette in front of him. From the voice, he figured this was a woman, but that was it. It seemed like she had a hood and something covering a good part of her face. 

“Yeah… It’s my friend’s birthday… I might have…”

“Really, now? Interesting.”

He frowned, believing he had heard this voice once. He was not sure when, but he had.

“Do I… Do I know you?” He asked.

“No, you don’t.”

His stomach grumbled and that made him groan. Now, everything hurt him. The woman kneeled. 

“You okay?”

“N-Not really…”

“We need to get you home. Is one of your friends near?”

“I… I don’t… Know…”

He started coughing again, but felt a hand pat his back. 

“It’s okay… It’s okay. I’ve got you. I’ll call up a taxi to take you home, okay? Nod if you understand.”

Adrien did as such and felt a pair of hands going under his armpits to drag him and let his back be against a wall. He felt the woman sitting beside him and she heard her speak, but it was not at him. All the while, Adrien kept grunting, gripping his hair as he tried to make the sudden headache go away. Of course, it didn’t work and two hands took them away.

“Stop it, you’re only hurting yourself.” 

“But it already hurts…”

“Then stop thinking about it. Talk about anything.”

“Like what?”

“Well… You’ve got one fancy ring on your finger. Where did you get it?”

“My… My mom gave it to me… Before…”

“Before what?”

“Before she disappeared…”

“Oh. I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to…”

“It’s okay. It’s been years, now. I still don’t know what happened…”

Adrien had not thought of his mother in that light for many months. It was true, he still don’t know what happened. He barely remembered his own father, who left him alone with his mother when he was only five. He spent the next years only with his mother who insisted that he learned how to defend himself from anything for some reason. He remembered how they kept moving all across the parisian region without any kind of explanation and also the specific day she gifted him the silver-grey ring he never took off because she asked him to. 

And after this day… He never saw her again. She simply vanished, without any trace whatsoever or reason. Adrien still believed something happened to her: he knew her, she was always there for him and would never just leave. But to this very day, the police had no clue and marked his mother’s case unsolvable. But Adrien still missed her very much. At the thought, and maybe the amount of alcohol in him, he started to sniffle. 

“Where did she go?” 

“Oh, come here… Everything is fine, okay? You simply need to rest and drink a lot of water. You are not alone.”

“You… You are so kind, miss…”

He kept snuggling against her as she patted his head gently. As the taxi arrived, the lady helped him up and climbed alongside him inside the car. He closed his eyes as he heard her speak to the driver and soon, the car went away. After some time, he didn’t know how long exactly, the car stopped and the girl helped him get out. With her arm around his waist and his own settled on her shoulder, she helped him walk to the door and took out his keys from his pocket. They got inside the lobby.

“No elevators?” She asked.

“Stairs…”

She sighed, a bit of annoyance in it, but still switched their positions so she could fully carry him in her arms. She started to go up the stairs, with him relaxing in her arms.

“Are you a weightlifter or something?” He asked her tiredly.

She just chuckled.

“Something like that.”

Finally, they stopped and he heard the door unlocking. She walked and put him on his bed. 

“I’ll go get you a glass of water. Stay here and relax.”

He let himself fall down, exhaling as he tried to see what was in his room more clearly. His vision was still foggy, but it seemed to have improved a little bit. Soon enough, he heard footsteps and he saw the silhouette of the woman getting back inside his room, with a glass of water and a little bottle.

“Here. I’ve brought you water and some Aspirin from your own closet. These might help you feel better. I’m going to take my leave now. Think you’ll manage without me?”

“I… I guess…”

“Good. I’ll leave your keys by the shoe rack at the entrance. Sleep tight, kitten.”

She turned around, about to leave.

“Wait. Thank you.”

She looked at him and, upon drinking water, he could start seeing a bit more of her. Dark hair tied in pigtails, blue eyes…

“Why are you wearing a mask?” He asked.

She simply smirked. 

“That’s none of your business, kitten.”

“Okay… Can I, at least, have a name, then?” 

She chuckled, crossing her arms.

“You may call me Ladybug, hot stuff. Toodles!”

Without further notice, she left the room and, a few seconds later, he heard the front door close. Adrien gulped the rest of the water and swallowed the Aspirin and relaxed on the bed, closing his eyes and mumbled.

“L-Ladybug… Her name… Her name is Lady… bug.” He said, finally drifitng away in his sleep.


	4. Hitgirls

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy first day of February guys!

It was now or never.

Today was the end of her target’s life. The plan was simple: going inside his flat while he was out at school and wait for him to come home. According to his schedule, he had nothing planned after his evening class and nothing for the next morning either: this way, the cleaners she would call after her mission was done would have enough time to put everything back as it was. 

She was lucky that no one was in the neighborhood to see her run on the building’s roofs. Still, she was always careful to not be seen in any way. Seeing the building, Ladybug jumped, landing down just in front of the door. She used the magnetic sequence Markov found to open the main door. Then, taking out her Markov device, she plugged it to the nearest security camera. 

“Markov, play the decoy footage. And make sure all of the cameras in the halls do the same. Also, erase any existing footage of me from today and… two days ago.”

“Processing… Done.”

Nodding, she unplugged the device and hooked it back on her belt as she went up the stairs, to his flat. Taking out the key she made after taking its printing, she slipped it in the lock and turned it, smirking upon seeing the door opening without any issue. She entered once more the apartment, taking a better look at it. The whole setting was… modest. Basic furniture, no art or plant, everything in order. The dishes were washed, there was no dust, his clothes fold and awaiting for him to be put back in the drawers. She nodded upon visiting the rooms one by one so she knew the settings and what she could use to her advantage to fulfill her mission. But as she was about to sit down, she heard glass breaking and rushed over to the living room. 

“I hope you don’t mind if I dropped by?”

“Queen Bee.”

The blonde girl smirked, slowly getting up and hooking her spinning top on her waist.

“You’re compromising all my mission by your stunt. What are you doing here?” Ladybug asked. 

“Oh, you’re really no fun, Ladybug. Not even trying to know how I’m doing?”

“I’m serious, Sting. What are you doing here?”

“Well… As you might know, I have been put on probation recently. That means I’m not officially a member of the Agency anymore because of you-”

“Because of me?” _She scoffed._ “You did this to yourself!”

“It was YOUR FAULT!” She shouted.

Gaining back her composure, she resumed her previous speech.

“Anyway, because of you, I had to find some way to regain my position. And… I found one. Getting rid of you!”

Ladybug chuckled.

“That’s your masterplan? Kill me? I never thought you would settle this low, my _queen_.” She said with a mocking grin. 

“Kill you? Oh, no, that’s not the plan! At least, not right away. First of all, I have claimed what is mine. Guess what, Ladybug? I’ve sent footage of you _helping_ your ‘target’ to Hawk Moth. And you getting familiar with him as well.”

Ladybug frowned.

“You mean you have been following me? HOW DARE YOU? You could have compromised my whole mission!”

“Oh, but it’s already compromised, Ladybug. Upon seeing it, they have arrived at the conclusion that you are not reliable enough to fulfill it. I just need to take care of some… formalities. And… You know what this means.”

In one smooth move, Queen bee threw in her way a shuriken that Ladybug avoided at the last second. Then, Queen Bee lunged and tried to attack her, but Ladybug blocked her with quick reflexes, sending her opponent straight in the wall across the room and knocking the air out of her. 

“Need me to remind you who always won in our trainings, back in the day? I advise you to step down before I kill you, Beetch.”

Queen Bee simply chuckled.

“Oh, always the confident one. But that won’t be enough. I’ve also got a few tricks up my sleeve.”

As Queen bee tried to throw yet another blade in her way, Ladybug managed to catch it with two fingers and return it. Ladybug took out her own weapons and also threw them in her enemy’s way, managing to get her a few times. They switched positions, Ladybug gripping Queen Bee’s ponytail and pulling it with all her strength to hit her head against the wall three times before she let her fall to kick her. But Queen Bee grabbed her ankle and made her lose balance, getting over her to hit her with her elbows. As the two got up again, they threw themselves at each other’s neck and Ladybug managed to slip her hands around Queen Bee’s throat, gripping tighter and tighter before the opponent grabbed the side of the bookshelf next to them to shove it on Ladybug, making the two of them fall. 

As they got out of the shelf and the pile of books, Ladybug took out her yo-yo and threw it at her enemy, hitting her before she ran and kicked her against the wall again.

“So, you’ll leave me alone, now?”

“Oh, but we’ve just started!”

With that, Queen Bee used her spinning top to hit her and succeeded, stinging Ladybug in her stomach and making her stumble a bit, surprised. She knew she was starting to bleed, but she would focus on that later. Ladybug took out her own tool to swing outside of the flat, taking the battle elsewhere. But Queen Bee managed to take a hold of her adversary with the string of her spinning top and, because of the sharp pain Ladybug felt in her stomach, made her lose focus and crashed in the trash bins in an alley. Queen Bee landed before her on her feet. Ladybug’s arm clutched her stomach protectively as Queen Bee creeped closer to her, the clicking of her heels echoing between the walls. 

“You’re feeling it, don’t you? The growing pain?”

“What… What have you done to me?”

“Oh nothing! But the sting of my spinning top is not only piercing through you anymore. I also dip it in Strychnine. Know what this is? Usually… This is something we use as a pesticide for rodents. Harmless for the killing of humans in a little dose, but also brings them a lot of pain with a single injection. And you know what’s best about it? There is no specific antidote.”

“Well… I can deal with it!”

Ladybug used her legs to kick Queen Bee back and got back up on her feet, not without grinding her teeth and engaged in close fighting with her current enemy. She started with a punch on her face, then a side-kick before taking out her dagger and pushing it in Queen Bee’s tigh, making her grunt. 

“You should know I’m never the one to go down in a fight.”

As she was about to kick Queen Bee, Ladybug let out a scream before clutching at her stomach and feeling her hands clutch on themselves without her wanting to do so. Queen Bee laughed and used her opponent’s growing weakness to strike again, punching her face enough to make her nose bleed, scratching her and pulling her hair to keep her on her feet as Ladybug started to struggle breathing. She was convulsing, not being able to stop it and growing weaker and weaker. For the first time, Ladybug was _losing._

“Never go down in a fight, huh? Well, today, that changes. But don’t worry, I’ll take care of your precious target once I get rid of you! As I learned, this particular one is really important to Hawk Moth, for some reason… But hey, if it helps me become the new Scarlet Killer, I don’t mind!”

Queen Bee dropped her and started kicking her side and Ladybug couldn’t do anything else beside trying to block her kicks. Ladybug’s shirt was quickly getting more and more soaked in her own blood. 

“HEY! STOP IT!”

Queen Bee momentarily stopped and Ladybug looked up. Her eyes widened upon seeing who shouted this order.

“What do you think you’re doing? Stop it!” Said the man. 

Queen Bee laughed.

“Easy there, big boy. You’re next in line anyway. Unless… Unless I do two for for the price of one! Hawk Moth will only be more satisfied!”

“Hawk Moth?”

“Run!” Shouted Ladybug

Even throughout the pain, Ladybug slowly got back up on her feet and threw herself at Queen Bee, pinning her down and hitting her head with her own. Taking out one of her daggers, she pinned Queen Bee’s wrist to the ground by pushing the blade through her skin.Then, she took it out and planned on put it right back where it belonged, but she convulsed again, the pain coursing through her. Queen Bee laughed and got up, hovering over Ladybug. Even though her wrist was injured, she still took out one of her own daggers. 

“You can try all you want, Ladybug, but in the end, no one stands in a queen’s way. Checkmate.”

As Queen Bee was about to throw herself at Ladybug’s throat to end her life, Ladybug heard a ‘bang’ and saw Queen Bee crash down. Ladybug frowned and tried to sit, but the pain kept her on the ground. Queen Bee had her eyes closed and seemed unconscious. The second later, she heard a metallic sound and saw what resembled a staff roll as the man kneeled in front of her. 

“We need to get you to a hospital.”

“NO! No… No hospitals… Please…” She begged through ragged breathing. 

Ladybug tried to get up, but another stinging feeling hit her, preventing her from doing so and she collapsed in the target's arms. 

“But you’re bleeding! You’ve lost too many blood! I’m taking you there and…”

“NO! I… I can’t… Elsewhere… Please…”

She saw him debate, but then, he sighed and carefully took her in his arms. Only there, Ladybug lost full consciousness, not being able to take it anymore.


	5. Savior

Ladybug groaned as the headache was not letting her go. But still, she forced herself to open her eyes. And they widened upon seeing she was in her target’s bedroom, laying on his bed. She immediately put her hand where stood her tools belt before noticing it was not there anymore and so was her shirt. She was still wearing her sports bra, but her stomach was bandaged. She touched her face and sighed in relief upon feeling her mask still in place. Ignoring the pain still coursing a bit, she mostly felt sore, she forced herself to get out of the bed and get up on her feet. She felt dizzy, but she didn’t care. She couldn’t stay here. Her mission was to kill him! Well, that was, if Queen Bee had been lying about making the whole Agency believe that she was a traitor. 

Getting out of the room, Ladybug was able to retrieve her jacket, where only the bottom (which settled above her belly button) was soaking in blood. She still put it on, thinking about how she would find time to wash it later. Then, she saw her tools belt and checked if something was missing from it. Apparently not, so she clipped it back on when she heard the front door of the flat being unlocked. Quickly, she hid herself, ready to strike. She was ready to kill her target. Finally, he entered and was carrying a bag from a drugstore. As he put it down to take off his shoes, Ladybug jumped out of her hiding spot and tackled him, bringing out a dagger to point at him. 

“Woah! What’s wrong with you?” He snarled.

“I should have taken you out long ago. Make your last wishes NOW.”

He simply looked at her with a perplexed face.

“Really? That’s how you thank me for saving your life?”

Then, not even bothering about the blade, he sat up, put his hands on her hips to take her off him before he got back up.

“After you lost consciousness in my arms, I brought you here. Sorry for the mess, I really have no idea what happened. Anyway, I hope you don’t mind that I took off your shirt to clean you up and bandage you. We should probably change the bandage right now or soon and see if the bleeding has stopped, by now. Also, I went out to buy you some medicine for your poisoning thing or whatever it is. Just to help your immune system fight it.”

Ladybug blinked, startled by his statement, but then, regained her mind and placed herself in a fighting stance.

“While I appreciate that, I’m afraid I still have to go on with my mission.”

“Which is?”

“To end your life.”

He blinked.

“I’m sorry,  _ what _ ?”

She didn’t answer and rushed back to him, trying to tackle him again, but instead, he turned and managed to take a grip of both of her arms behind her back and press her against the wall. She smirked.

“Ooh, a pretty face with good reflexes, I see? Very well, then. You’ll be my new toy.”

Using her two feet, she jumped, pushed against the wall to do a backflip, forcing him to let go of her as she landed behind him perfectly.

“I don’t understand… Why did someone send you to kill me?” He asked, seemingly confused. 

“Oh, sweetheart. I think you know. Because I do.”

“What are you even talking about?”

“I know about your power.”

He frowned.

“My power? What power? Look, I think-”

“Do not play dumb with me! You know very well what power I’m talking about!”

“I assure you I really don’t, miss…”

“Ladybug.”

His eyes widened.

“Ladybug? But you’re… You’re the one who helped me get home this week-end… I thought I dreamed it… Why would you help me get here safely when you could have killed me on the spot?”

“Because I believe everyone deserves a more dignified death than being strangled while being drunk. I wanted you full conscious, fully perceptive and perfectly  _ aware _ of what is happening to you.”

“But… Why? What have I ever done?”

“Nothing… Yet. But knowing people of your kind, it sure won’t be long.”

“People of my kind? What the hell are you talking about?” He asked, a little more louder. 

For a second, Ladybug frowned. This target really seemed confused about what she had been implying until now. What if he was telling the truth and was actually innocent? But then, she shook her head, remembering one of her lessons: he had to be lying. He simply was a good actor, but there was absolutely no way he was genuinely asking her what she meant. 

“Stop trying to mess with me! It won’t save you! You better just accept what is going to happen to you!” She snapped. 

As she was starting to walk towards him, another paralysing pain shot through her, making her groan and fall down on her knees. She clutched her stomach as she whimpered, biting her lip to try to not cry. Soon enough, she felt another presence by her side. 

“Look, I don’t doubt your… killing capacities whatsoever, but I still believe you need to rest and take care of yourself. You’re obviously not well.”

“Even if I am… I don’t need your help.” She said, stubbornly. 

“Well, I  _ am  _ an aspiring nurse student and all… But if you say so, I’ll just go distribute the stuff I bought for you to the other tenants. I’m sure they would be very appreciative…” He said in a suggestive tone.

That’s right, she remembered reading in the file that he was studying in the hopes of becoming a nurse. He was actually in his third year, if she remembered correctly. That must be the reason why he brought her back in his flat instead of calling an ambulance like any other normal person. 

Ladybug groaned as she watched him get up. She shut her eyes, internally debating with herself until she gave up.

“Wait.”

“Yes?” He asked.

“I guess I could… Use your help…” 

“Really, now? You’re not planning to kill me, anymore?”

“I didn’t say that.”

“Then why should I help you?”

“Being a nurse and all, aren’t you supposed to take an oath? The Nigthingale Pledge?”

He smiled.

“You know your stuff, that’s good. Can you stand up?”

“Yes.”

“Then, head to my bathroom, we’ll start by taking off your bandages to replace them.”

Ladybug got up and headed to the bathroom, where she sat on the bowl, taking off her jacket as he kneeled before her.

“By the way… What have you done with my shirt?” She asked as she rose up her arms to let him work.

“I had to take it off to see what was going on. Besides, I think it is unsavable, you’ve bled a lot. I’m sorry if you’re not comfortable with-”

“No, don’t worry. That’s not why I’m asking.”

He nodded and proceeded, taking off the bandage slowly and exposing her belly to the fresh air of the flat. 

“The good news is, the bleeding stopped. Since you’re fully responsive and all, I guess I can say you’ll be fine. But you still have those spasms and clutching. So… Can you tell me what happened to you, exactly?”

“The bitch stung me with her fucking spinning top and she dipped it in some poison for rodents. Ack!” She said as he washed her wound.

“Sorry. Do you know what is that poison?”

“I don’t completely remember… Str… Struknone? Something like that.”

“Strychnine. Hum, it’s going to be a little tricky. There is no precise antidote. All you can do is let your immune system deal with it until it goes away completely. You can take pain-killers and aspirin to ease the tension you might feel, but you’ll just have to wait otherwise.”

“I guess aspirin it is. I can’t afford to take pain-killers or they will make me numb.”

Her belly completely washed, he put on her new bandages, making sure she felt comfortable in them. 

“There you go. How does it feel?”

“Good. Thank you.”

She sighed. 

“So… What are you, exactly?” He asked her.

“It’s none of your business, kitten. Frankly, you’re not even supposed to be asking this anymore.”

“Well, why? I think you owe me that, at least. I mean, I saved your life. Shouldn’t you, I don’t know… Return the favor, at least?”

Ladybug’s eyes widened.

“I… I can’t just return the favor!”

“Why not?”

“W-Well! Look, if I don’t get rid of you, not only will I get in serious trouble… But also, it won’t mean you will be left alone. Someone else will come for you.”

“Why?”

“I told you, already. Because of your power.”

“What power?”

“Do you mean to tell me you really don’t know? Or are you just a liar?”

“Miss. I am many things. But a liar is not one of them. Seriously, I have no single idea what you’re talking about.”   
“But… But that’s impossible! The file said you had the ability to destroy everything you touch!”

“What file? Okay, no, I don’t care about that. Huh… Does it seem like I have this ability? Seriously, it should be nice and all… Sometimes, I mean. In other circumstance, maybe it sucks…”

“So… You really don’t have this power? Not at all?”

“I never thought that was possible in the first place… Some people really are born with super-powers?”

Ladybug looked away, her thoughts racing inside her mind. She believed him, somehow. Something inside her told her that he wasn’t lying at all, that he was telling the truth. But if he truly was powerless… Why did he get in the hitlist in the first place? Who spotted him if he, visibly, had no idea this kind of thing existed? What if… What if there was a breach in the Agency? But then, she remembered what Queen Bee told her earlier, how Hawk Moth really wanted this guy dead. Why? 

Ladybug got up. 

“Thank you for your help, I should go, now.”

“Really? You’re… You’re just going to leave like that?”

“I have to rethink a strategy and… Check some things on my side. Besides… Even if I hate to admit it. You’re right. I owe you. So, you’re coming with me.”

“Wait, what? What do you mean, I’m coming with you?”

“Do you really want to die uselessly? Until this matter is settled and your life is in danger, I have to keep you safe just as you did.”

“Okay, you do understand I was joking about that, right? I wasn’t serious…”

“Even if you weren’t, I am. It is in my code of honour. The Retaliation Law is something we live by and it also applies in favours. Pack your bags, we’re leaving.”

“I’m not going anywhere with you? Are you kidding me? Not only you said you were sent to kill me in the first place, but then…”

She cut him off.

“Listen here,  _ Banana Head,  _ I am not giving you a choice. Either you come with me, or you die. You are at risk and the only way I can repay you is by making sure you stay safe and sound. Have I made myself clear?”

With wide eyes, he nodded.

“Good. Get a sports bag, a backpack or whatever and only take the necessary: a few clothes and a good pair of shoes. Maybe a few medical resources. Do not fold them, roll them. Leave the rest here.”

“Even my wallet? What about my phone?”

“They stay here. Hurry up.”

In ten minutes sharp, he was ready. 

“First, I’m going to take my stuff. Hold on tight.” She said, putting her arm around him.

“Why?” 

“You’ll see.”

They walked to the broken window. Taking out her yo-yo, she threw it to the nearest lamp post and the two of them were now in the air. He yelped and gripped at her shoulders tighter.


	6. To Disappear

Adrien kept his eyes squeezed shut until he could feel his two feet on the ground again. His heart was beating fast.

“Jeez, you’re such a scaredy cat… Have you never been ziplining?” Asked Ladybug while letting go of him.

“This was nothing like ziplining! You have absolutely no protection whatsoever! And… How are you doing this with a simple yo-yo? How does that even-”

“Oh, shut it. For someone who almost had a heart attack you sure talk a lot. Now, stay here and don’t. touch. ANYTHING.”

He gulped as she walked away towards a bag put in a corner. Slipping her hand inside, she took out a black t-shirt. Taking off the jacket, she put on the shirt and sighed, taking the bad and zipping it before putting the strap on her shoulder. 

"Much better. I'm going to make a call. Do not make any sound." 

Upon watching her take out a flip phone, he was starting to sit down when she looked at him with those piercing blue eyes of hers.

“What did I just say? Don’t touch anything! And that includes with your butt as well, Banana Head!”

Adrien frowned. This was the second time she called him that.

“What’s with the Banana Head thing?” He asked. 

Ladybug sighed exaggeratedly as she rolled her eyes.

“Are you always asking so dumb questions? No, actually, you know what? I don’t care. Just stand there and don’t move. Understood?” She asked, severely.

He gulped. She was no bigger than him and yet, she was so  _ intimidating _ . Adrien shivered as he answered.

“Y-Yes, ma’am.”

“Good.”

Opening the phone, she pressed on a few buttons before he could hear the ringing She put the call on speaker, so he knew he had to stay silent as the conversation went on.

“Yes.” Said what seemed like a woman on the other side.

“Mayura? Hi, Ladybug here.”

“Is your mission complete?”

“No… Actually, I called to report a concern…”

“What concern?”

“I think there has been a mistake. The target you assigned me doesn’t have any power-”

“There is absolutely no mistake, Ladybug. Your job is to kill him. You’re not here to think and ask some questions.”

Even if her mask covered a good part of her upper face, Adrien could still see her frown. 

“My job is to get rid of the ones that are a threat to this world. This is what I have always done ever since my first mission. I’m here to kill the monsters, the nuisances to this world. I’ve always done this to keep the majority safe… But… This target doesn’t seem to be dangerous at all.”

“Your job is to do as you have been told.” 

“But that would mean killing an innocent! Aren’t we supposed to protect them?”

Adrien frowned and kept watching her. Did she really think of herself as a protector? 

“Are you implying that you refuse to cooperate?”

“I…”

Ladybug stopped in her words, thinking and closing her eyes to do so.

“I’m simply saying that the target you assigned me should not have been put on the hit list in the first place.”

“So, Queen Bee was right.”

He heard a sigh.

“Very well. You’re terminated.”

At the same moment, the front door flew to the other side of the room and people looking like janitors stumbled inside the studio.

“Mayura, she’s with the target.” Said one of them.

“Get rid of them. Both.”

Upon understanding what was happening, Ladybug dropped the phone and ran to tackle Adrien as one of the janitors shot at them. He groaned, but she made them roll before she stopped and got up from him, placing herself in a defensive pose and dropping her bag on him. 

“Stand back. I’ll get us out of here!”

“But I want to hel-” He started while getting up. 

“Now is not the time!”

She pushed him out of the way as one of the janitors threw a knife at them and quickly blocked it with her yo-yo. Then, she charged, dragging their focus upon herself as they all started to try and get to her. Adrien simply could not take his eyes off her as she threw a knife exactly in one of the janitors’ throat, as she threw another out the window, as she engaged in close fighting with three of them and getting out of their grasp every time.

“She’s… amazing…” He sighed. 

What he had not noticed was one of the janitors creeping closer to him until the last second. Remembering what he had learned, Adrien grabbed his arm and twisted it, making the janitor groan as he used the occasion to throw him against the wall, knocking him out in the process. His head turned in time to see one of the janitors crawl towards Ladybug discreetly. As she was busy fighting another, she could not possibly see him.

“Ladybug, behind you!” He shouted.

She did not turn around. Instead, she jumped, doing a backflip to avoid the standing janitor’s blade and landing on the back of the one of the floor, making his bones crack in the process. Adrien cringed at the pain the man must feel, but still kept watching as Ladybug tackled the other janitor and roll the string of her yo-yo around his neck, tightening her grasp with all her might. 

“Ladybug, stop! Please!” He pleaded, coming closer to her.

“Stand back! This is none of your business!”

“It is if you kill him just to protect me! This is not the way!”

“It’s the  _ only _ way! If he lives, he will kill us.”

“Then what about the others, huh? You’ll kill them too?”

“If I must.”

“No! Please, let him go. You can’t pretend to do the right thing if you keep doing this! Do you really want to remain a monster?” He asked. 

She gasped.

“How dare you? I am not a monster!”

“You are. How is killing countless people just because of what they are make you any less of a monster than they supposedly are?”

She straightened, but he could not see her face. He knew she was taking what he just said in consideration, so he continued. 

“Even if those people have, like you said, a potential to hurt others. From my point of view, at the moment, you’re the only one hurting someone else. If you really want to bring good to this world, you need to stop doing this. Please. Let him go.”

And she did. Because of the lack of air, the janitor still did not respond, but Adrien kneeled beside him to take a pulse. 

“He will live.” He said.

Ladybug nodded and got up. 

“You just made a big mistake, Ladybug.” Said Mayura on the phone.

Upon hanging up, Ladybug walked over the phone and crushed it under her foot.

“We don’t have much time. Others will come. We need to get as far as possible now. Let’s go.” She said while picking up her bag and tossing it on her shoulder.

“Huh… Where are we going?”

“Somewhere. First, we need a way out of Paris. And a map.”

She got out of the studio, dropping some keys on the floor and Adrien simply followed her, not knowing what else he could do at the moment. They took the stairs and headed on the street, Ladybug putting on her hood and staying in the shadows. The two walked in the streets in silence before Ladybug stopped in front of a grey minivan.

“This one will do. Would you hold this for me, please?” She asked as she handed him her bag.

He took it and she brought her hand to her belt and took out a round ball.

“Markov, unlock the doors, please.” She said as she pressed it on the car’s door.

A second later, the doors unlocked and she got inside.

“Wait, whose car is this?” He asked.

“Don’t know, don’t care.”

“What? You… You want to steal a car? No way! I’m not being your accompl-”

“Oh, shut up already! Just get inside. Just a tip for you, pretty boy. I will not ask you twice. So?”

Adrien mentally battled with himself before he sighed, went around the car and got inside as she opened the door for him. She tossed her bag on the backseat and opened up the compartiment in front of her to get to the wires. Toying with them, she finally found the good ones to make the minivan start.

“Gotcha!”

Adjusting her seat, she buckled her seatbelt and Adrien was reaching to do the same before she stopped him.

“Your hands are not gloved, you will leave your fingerprints everywhere. You already left some to close the door, we’ll have to take care of this later. But for now, don’t touch anything else, I’ll do it.”

Unbuckling her seat belt to go over him and buckle him, she sat back where she was and redid the same for her.

“Do you know how to drive?”

“A bit too late to ask, don’t you think? Anyway, you’ll just have to trust me.”

With that being said, Ladybug got out of the parking spot and drove down the streets of Paris, going for the highway so she could get out of the city and out of the region. At least, that’s what he guessed.

“So… Now what?” He asked.

“We don’t have to do small talk. I’m sure you’re exhausted, you can sleep if you want.”

“Well… I just want to know what I can say when Nino will ask me where I am…”

She scoffed.

“You don’t get it, don’t you? From now on, you can’t reach out to anyone. You can’t contact anyone.”

“But that’s only temporary… Right?”

“I believe you already know the answer, kitten.”

“But… Wait, no! I want to get off, then! I can’t just… disappear like that! All my friends will get worried! What about school? What about…”

“Listen, Adrien, right? If you want to live, you’ll have to do as I say. You need to disappear in order to survive. You need to not be on any map anymore. And that means to not reach out to anyone anymore. It’s better if they think you’re dead, trust me.”

“You want me to trust you? You were sent here to kill me!”

“I understand where you come from. In full honesty, I wouldn’t trust myself either if I were you. But I’ll say the facts. If you want to survive, I’m your best chance to do so. We’ll talk about this tomorrow, alright? You should really get some rest before we stop somewhere to spend the night.”

Adrien grunted but still turned on his side, watching through the window and focusing on the city lights, while he could still see them. His heart squeezed painfully inside his chest as he thought of what he was doing. But at the moment, he had to try and get some more sleep.

***

“The cleaners are almost done fixing up the mess the battle left in the studio, sir.”

“Perfect, thank you for taking care of this, Mayura.”

“Of course, sir.”

The communication stopped and Hawk Moth sighed massaging his temples in the meantime.

“So, you see? I was right about Ladybug! She betrayed the Agency and she betrayed you!” Said Queen Bee.

“So it would seem…”

Queen Bee continued to smirk proudly. Her plan was going well. It was now just a matter of time before she could get her previous position back, she just knew it. 

“Unfortunately, this doesn’t have a good ending for you as well.” He said while turning towards her. 

He started to step closer to her and she stepped back.

“W-What do you mean, sir? I… I exposed Ladybug for who she was!”

“That you did. But by doing so, you also proved to us how reckless you are. Therefore, I’m afraid we need to get rid of you just as much as we need to get rid of Ladybug and this target she’s now helping.”

Hawk Moth smiled wickedly while grabbing Queen Bee by her throat and bringing her up while tightening his grasp. She started to choke as she tried to get out of this position, her feet swinging in the air.

“No… Please… I… Give me… Chance… Please…”

“I’m afraid I can’t do that, your  _ majesty. _ ”

He tightened his hand even more and brought his other one to join it, tightening the pressure on Queen Bee’s throat tighter and tighter. After a few seconds trying to battle and stay alive, her eyes rolled back and her arms fell by her side and she stopped moving completely. Hawk Moth maintained his position for a few other seconds, making sure she was really out before he let her drop to his feet with a loud thud. Reaching out to his cane, he used his thumb to get the ornament opened.

“Do what you must and get her out of here.”

In just a minute, two cleaners got inside his office and picked the lifeless body up, taking her out of sight. With that being done, Hawk Moth turned around and grumbled.

Now, he had to find another way.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi guys! Like usual, I hope you liked this new chapter! But now, I have an announcement to make. 
> 
> The next update will be taking a while to be published. The reason is very simple: I'm using all my focus to work on another fic I'm working on (like... full power, I'm almost done writing it), so for the time being, this one will be updated at a slower pace. Sorry for the inconveniance, but I think it's for the best because once my projects are done, I can bring all my focus into this one and make it the best possible. 
> 
> So, in the meantime, feel free to go check my other stuff in the wait for another update here! Be assured that one will come!


	7. First morning and first preparations

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys! New chapter, a bit longer than what we've had until now. I hope you'll like it!

The food smelled good and Ladybug grinned, now sure she had not lost her cooking skills since the last time she was in a survival mode. A few years ago, following some problem with her equipment, she found herself stranded in an island somewhere in Micronesia, with no way to send a proper signal to the Agency. Luckily for her, she had enough stock with her to chase for food, cut wood and make fires at the time until a helicopter finally found her and brought her back to the headquarters island where she received proper medical attention, to make sure she was alright before she was sent back in a mission.

She woke up before her target and he was, still at this exact moment, soundly asleep. She had not gone too far from the spot where they both spent the night. They ditched the minivan as soon as they were far enough from Paris and walked into the forest for a few hours before they stopped and made their base. Ladybug slept for a few hours and woke up with the first rays of sunlight and went for a walk. She was able to hunt down two rabbits. After removing their fur, skin and internal organs, she set up a fire and started to cook them. Of course, this would be pretty basic feeding since there was no water yet or spices to make the thing more tastier but she would figure it out as soon as her target would wake.

As she removed the two cooked rabbits from the fire, she heard the target moan and sit. She didn’t look at him as she placed them on a pile of branches to let them cool down.

“Morning, sleepy head. You had a good night?” She asked.

“Could have been better…” He said in a yawn. 

She nodded before handing him a knife to help him eat.

“Did you… Kill someone with this blade?”

“What do you think?”

“Well… I don’t want to use it to eat…”

Ladybug sighed.

“You know I wash my stuff, right? Don’t worry, you won’t find any trace of flesh or human blood. Although, it’s a little weird that this grosses you out but not the fact you’re about to eat another living being…”

“It’s not the same thing!”

“Why not? A life is a life, no matter which type it is. I’m not saying I’m going to eat another human being someday. But, I still believe it is a little hypocritical to find that killing an animal to eat it is normal and okay, but if you kill a human, suddenly, it’s not. Seriously, the consequences are the same no matter the reason behind it.”

Ladybug sliced one leg of the rabbit and cut it in smaller pieces.

“And in my case, I did what I had to do. Now, I advise you to eat while it’s still hot, we’ll have to get going soon.” She told him before taking a bite.

She started to eat her rabbit and the target, after a sigh, did the same. They ate for a moment in silence before he spoke up again.

“You do know I have many questions for you, right?”

“Yes. I’m aware. What do you want to know?”

“Huh… I guess everything? It’s the least you can give me since it looks like I’m stuck with you until further notice.”

“I’m not forcing you to stay, though.”

“You know what I mean.”

She looked up at him and waited for him to ask her his first question.

“Okay… Let’s begin with that: what are you, exactly? Who are you?”

“My name is Ladybug, as you might know. I am… Well, an assassin. I have been trained to become one since I turned seven and officially started to work as one when I turned fourteen. I work for the Akuma Agency where our mission is to take out the people that represent threats to our world.”

“First thing… You mean to tell me your name really is Ladybug? Nothing else?”

“I have many names, depending on the places I’m sent to. I have many fake IDs. In France, my name is Brigitte Thavaud. In the US, Angelina Li. In Chile, Imelda Peres... That’s just to name a few. But otherwise, I go by Ladybug. I do have a birth name, but no one has called me that ever since I was a kid so to me, it’s not really relevant anymore.”

“Alright… Tell me more about your mission… What makes someone a threat.”

“It’s going to take a while, but let me tell you this. What you have to know is that many of the things you think you know are a transformed version of the reality. If you believe you know how some war in the past went, you only know half of it. For example, in the Peloponnesian War opposing the city of Athens to the city of Sparta, how do you think the Spartans won?”

“Didn’t Sparta receive some support that allowed them to reduce Athens’ naval forces to weaken? That ultimately lead Athens to surrender in the following year.”

“Yes, that’s it. But, with a twist. During the Battle of Aegospotami, aka the last major battle of the war, the spartan commander Lysander was helped by the persian prince Cyrus. However, he did not only help the Spartans by financing the rebuilding of their fleet, he also provided them with someone: Bahram. A man who had the power to control the waters. So while the spartan fleet was firing on the athenian one from the outside, the water under the boats was also going violent which made several ships sink, destroying them and killing many people in the progress. And, like you said, Athens had to surrender because their naval forces were no longer superior.”

“But that seems… A bit exaggerated. What proof do you have of this?”

“With me, none. But the Agency’s archives could show you otherwise. It has been around for as long as the Antique age but had only become efficient after the sixteenth century. But think about it. The athenian fleet was one of the most powerful there was at the time. So, how else can you explain their sudden loss to a city that had to rebuilt their entire fleet from the ground up? Because lack of organisation doesn’t seem enough of a good reason.”

“You have a point… But…”

“And there are many other examples of this throughout History. The black Plague? A pissed-off dude that was bored and wanted to be left alone. The downfall of many native populations in America? Yes, caused by diseases and slaughter, but what do you think spread it? Pizarro had the power to manipulate people’s minds, Amherst had the ability to infect objects, which he did with blankets he distributed! The downfall of the Ming dynasty? Li Zicheng was helped by Zhang Xianzhong, who…”

“Okay, okay! I got it. Every major event in the past happened because of someone with a terrible power.”

“Well, not  _ every _ major event. Hitler was just a pathetic scum who, somehow, managed to convince many people that war was the way to go for Germany and succeeded in sharing the responsibilities. But many of them could have been prevented if someone had taken care of those people sooner. And that’s what the Agency stands for… At least… That’s what I thought until now…”

She looked down and let out a sigh.

“And for some reason, you thought I was one of these people as well?”

“It doesn’t work like that. We have what we call spotters. Posted everywhere around the world, they look for people who could possibly answer to the characteristics of someone who has a power.”

“And that’s all?”

“No. Of course, not. When the alarm is set, the Agency send someone to check if this information is true. Once it’s confirmed that the person indeed has a power, they are added to our hitlist and taken care of by an assassin. And… You were assigned to me. What I still don’t get is why. You have nothing.”

“Yeah…”

“Initially, I thought that maybe you just weren’t aware and maybe you used your power in your sleep. But after watching you sleep in the car, after spending a whole night next to you and waking up unharmed…”

“Wait, you were watching me  _ sleep _ ?” He asked, stuttering and cheeks getting rosy. 

Ladybug’s eyes widened and she felt herself blush furiously.

“It- It’s not what you think! D… Don’t say it like that! You make me sound like a stalker!” She said, pouting. 

His brow shot up. 

“But… Aren’t you? I mean, you had to know about my whereabouts in order to fulfill your mission and…”

“Sh-Shut up!”

She turned away from him for a second and she heard him chuckle. She couldn’t believe her ears. Was he really messing with her  _ on purpose?  _ Ladybug had never felt so exposed and shy before. She had to get a hold of herself. This was just a  _ boy _ . She had encountered plenty, even trained with some! This was no different. 

“That being said… What is the plan, for the rest?” He asked. 

“The plan? Oh! RIGHT! The plan!” She said, chuckling nervously. 

_ Stop it.  _ She told herself. 

“Well, once we are done eating, we get going. The first stop we’ll do is to get some vital elements: for instance, water. Then, we hide ourselves in the people for the remaining of the day and we wait for the night to get another car. What we need to do is to get you out of the country.”

“Can I ask why?”

“Because the longer you stay inside of France, the more chances the Agency has to find us. BUT, as soon as we are out of the country, we can be anywhere in the world, which makes it harder for them to find us. But, it’s important we don’t go to key transportation spots like airports or train/bus stations because these will be the first spots where they will be looking for us. Mostly you, because let’s be real, I can be replaced, but still. We have to stay low-key.”

“Does that mean we’ll keep on camping and steal cars? Because…”

“No. Even though staying in forests is a great hide-out, it also makes the perfect deathtrap. Trust me, you have no idea how many people I killed inside forests or jungles. And also, stealing cars too often would set up a pattern: therefore, this would bring the Agency on our track faster than anything else.”

“So… You’re telling me we’re going to hike our way out of the country? But this will take us weeks!”

“There is hiking involved, of course but not only. Because believe it or not, but if something is suspicious, it’s two people hiking beside a highway for days all by themselves. But first, we get some vital elements, a car, and… A change of look.”

With this, Ladybug got up and took out a pair of scissors. 

“You… You want to cut my hair? But…”

“Trust me, different hair makes a person look completely different sometimes. Believe me, I know what I’m doing, I did this before. Now, hold still.”

“Wait! Hold on a second!”

She sighed.

“ _ What? _ ”

“You… You’re not going to shave my head, right?”

“No. I have no interest in making you look like a prisoner. No, I’m going to give you a common haircut: this way, you’ll look just like anybody else. It will allow you to-”

“Be one with the crowd. Okay, I get it. And since you seem to really want to go on with it anyway… Go ahead.”

He sat up and she circled him to look at him at various angles so she could picture the haircut she was about to give him. Then, she stood behind him and took off her gloves, putting them beside her. She brought up her hands and ran her fingers in his hair, which made him shiver. She hummed.

“Your hair is soft. It’s a shame it will need to be shorter.”

“if you want, I can tell you the shampoo I use.”

She snorted, but focused as she picked up the scissors. Ladybug started her work, cutting the sides a little and focusing on what she wanted him to look like. Because they had no mirror, she had to stop a few times to look at him from the front and make sure she was not making a disaster. Finally, she was done and she thought she did a pretty good job. It might have been a basic man-haircut, but he looked good. 

“Okay, now, time to go! According to the map there was in the minivan… There should be a village not too far from here if we head south. So, let me take out the com-”

“Wait. Are you really going like this? With your gear and mask and…”

“Ooooh, riiight. Okay, I’ll head over there and get changed. You can do the same with your underwear if you wish, but whatever you do… You do  _ not _ peek, mister!”

“I… I would never!” He said, blushing all the way.

She smirked, proud of how she got back at him and grabbed her bag, going to hide in the woods to changed. Upon changing her clothes, she checked her bandage on her stomach to see if it was still holding. As it was, she hid a foldable weapon on the side of her sports bra and put on a tank top. Putting on a skirt, she attached two daggers on her thighs before hiding a pocket knife in her boot. She untied her pigtails, brushed her hair with her fingers and tied her hair back into a ponytail. Lastly, she removed her mask, placing it back in its box, and removing the rest of the face glue with her fingers. Her gear settled inside her bag, she returned to join Adrien.

“Okay, let’s get- Why are you looking at me?”

“You… It was  _ you _ ! The girl I helped out with her directions! But…”

“Wow, good  _ morning  _ sweetheart! You really didn’t recognise me under my mask?”

“Well… NO?”

She snorted.

“All it takes is a mask and nobody knows who you are, anymore! Seriously… It just hides what is around my eyes, it’s not like it hid much!”

“Yeah, but…”

“We’ll have time later to talk about my face and all. Anyway, I think that it will be better for me to keep wearing it when we’re not surrounded by a crowd as my mask could draw unrequited attention... But for now, let’s start with getting out of this forest and go into the village. But first, we need to cover our tracks. Do you need me to tell you what to do or you can figure out what to do on your own?”

“I… I can figure it out…”

“Perfect.”

Their camping spot dismantled and their tracks covered, the two of them started to get out of the woods, following the compass she always had with her. After a few hours walk, they finally were inside the village. Together, they walked in the search of a shop. They found a supermarket easily and got inside, grabbing a cart in the same time.

“This will make us look like a normal couple shopping. So, here’s what we’re looking for: two reusable water bottles that we will refill with water and nothing else. If you like soda, I’m sorry, but you won’t be able to drink some for quite a while. We’ll also pick up a few granola bars and some snacks… Are you allergic to something like nuts or…”

“Feathers.”

“I meant to eat. I don’t believe we eat feathers.”

“Oh, huh… Nothing that I know of…”

“Excellent. We’ll pick up nuts and dried fruits like cranberries, raisins and other stuff too. Beef jerky too, and…”

“Huh, Lady-”

“Shhhh!”

She covered his mouth with her hand.

“You can’t call me that in public! Now, what is it? You have a special request or something?”

She let go of his mouth.

“Well, now that you mention it, can we also pick up some cookies?”

“Sure, why not. Anything else?”

“Yeah… Huh… Are we only going to eat snacks from now on? Because it isn’t completely nourishing and…”

“No, of course not. We can’t survive if we don’t have any energy. We’ll try to stop somewhere at least once a day. But don’t expect some fancy place with a full-course service. Those stops have to be short, we need to keep moving. We’ll only stop for those meals and for some place to spend the night. Also, yes, don’t worry, we won’t exclusively spend our nights outdoors. But just for that, we also need to look for toilet paper, a tent and sleeping bags. It’s possible we don’t find them in this store, so we’ll need to ask around to find one.”

The two of them picked up what they could find in the store: two bottles, their snacks and toilet paper. But then, Adrien had another question.

“So… How am I supposed to call you if I can’t use your codename?”

“Well, we are in France so you can call me Brigitte like on my fake ID.” She answered while picking up some protein bars.

“But you said it… It’s fake. Don’t you want to chose something realer?” 

She sighed.

“If you’re trying to get my real name out of me, I’ll tell you right away just so we can be clear, you will not get it.”

“Understood, but that’s not why I was asking…”

“Well, then, I’m sure you can think of something by yourself!” She answered with a light pat on his arm.

“Very well… Can I just know how you came up with this name in the first place, though? Why a ladybug?”

“Really? You had to ask for this right here?”

“I’m just curious! What is bad about that?”

“Curiosity  _ did  _ kill the cat, you know. And considering what I do for a living… I think you should really reconsider what you want to ask me before you do.”

“But… What about the satisfaction that brought it back?”

“Do you really want to test that supposition,  _ kitten _ ?”

“Oh, so  _ you  _ get to give me names now?” 

She smirked, but still didn’t steal a glance in his way. She was starting to have fun. Who would have thought?

“You asked for it,  _ hot stuff _ .” 

He snorted. 

“Okay,  _ wow.  _ Are you objectifying me?” 

“I would never…” She said with a light chuckle.

“Is that so? Very well,  _ my lady…  _ Oh, that has a nice touch to it!”

“Maybe… But you’re forgetting something.” 

“And what is that?” 

“I might be a lady. But I am not  _ your  _ lady. In fact, I am no one’s lady and I don’t belong to anyone.”

“You belong to yourself, that’s true…  _ My  _ lady.”

She stomped her foot, expressing her slight annoyance while he simply smirked and continued their shopping. Only in this smug attitude Ladybug was able to figure out something: while she might not be the end of him, he was certainly the end of her. He might not literally kill her, but he would surely give her a slow death if he kept this up. What she knew was that she unfortunately have to roll with it until he was safe enough to let him be on his own. After all, she didn’t plan to stay at his side forever: just enough so he would no longer need her to protect himself. 

Once the two of them picked up everything they needed that was in this store, they headed to the cash decks. On their way, Ladybug warned Adrien to not say or do anything else beside picking up the purchases once they would be bought. 

“Hi.” Said the cashier while beginning to scan their stuff. 

“Hello.” Said Ladybug in return with a polite smile.

“Do you have the fidelity card?” 

“No.” 

The cashier continued to scan before she reported her attention over to Ladybug, telling her the price. With this, Ladybug handed her a few bills, took back the change and the two of them headed out, placing all of their purchases in their bags. 

“Okay, let’s search for a water fountain and then, we get ourselves a tent and a car.” She explained. 

“For the tent, okay, but… How do we get the car? We rent one?”

“No, of course not. That would mean to leave my informations, even if it’s fake, to some renting company. And the Agency knows all of my fake identities, so they could track us. No, we’ll be looking for somebody who sells their car right away, cash only type of deal.”

“I see… But do you even have this amount of money on you?”

“Trust me, money will never be an issue. The less you know about it, the better for you.”

“O-kay?”

“Now, come on. Let’s buy that tent, look for a place to spend the night and possibly take showers before we look for some selling announcements here or nearby. Sounds good?”

“I guess so…”

“Perfect, let’s go then.”


	8. The Car

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you're all having a good time in quarantine! Here's a new chapter to help you out with boredom!

It had felt good to eat a real breakfast this morning. A good night of sleep in a real bed too, if she thought more about it. But now, it was the time to leave again. She had paid for the night before she left, with Adrien in tow. They couldn’t stay in this village any longer, but fortunately, she had found someone who was selling their car immediately.

“So… What model is it? Do you know?” He asked her.

“Nothing too flashy, if that’s what you were hoping for. A simple Renault Clio. Its space is sufficient for the two of us and for our gear.” Ladybug explained to him. 

“Fair enough. I just hope the A/C works. And the radio too.” 

“I sure hope so… Rolling with the windows down could expose us. Anyway. You do know how to drive, correct?”

“Yes, why?”

“Because as soon as we have it, you’re driving. We’ll take turns, don’t worry.”

“Alright. So… Who is the seller, exactly?”

“Actually a couple. Ivan and Mylène. Oh, and, just in case, when I reached out to them initially, I told them we were a couple as well. I figured that playing in their sensibility would convince them to sell us the car more easily. Do you think you can pull it off?”

“Well… It’s not like I need to kiss you full french style, right? I should be convincing enough.”

“Perfect.”

With this, Ladybug took his hand in her own and they continued walking. The address wasn’t too far from the place they stayed at, but it was still a distance to make her think about the hand she was currently holding. His skin was smooth and warm and his grasp on her hand was firm, yet not too tight. She looked at their hands tangled together and could not help herself as she smiled at the sight, thinking that it looked, and accessorily felt, good. Maybe it was because she wasn’t really used in this simple gesture. After all, the only time she had held hands with someone was when Tikki officially adopted her. 

Ladybug could remember this day very well, even though it happened so many years ago. She also remembered actually meeting Tikki for the first time: she was doing tricks with the yo-yo she had, the only toy she was allowed to have when Tikki spotted her. The next day, Tikki came in the orphanage to get to know her better and, in a matter of a few days, the adoption was official. She remembered that she had got lucky about that: the next year, she would officially be sent into a foster family and, probably, keep on going from family to family until she reached majority. So, upon Tikki taking her out of the system, Ladybug had been truly happy. Ladybug could remember her asking if she had to call her ‘Mom’ or ‘Mommy’ or something like that. Only to get this answer:

“No, I have other things for you in mind. It’s your lucky day!”

Only to find herself on a helicopter, getting out of France to an unknown place to her at the time. With this, she started her learning to become one of the world’s most vicious assassin. Of course, the beginning had been hard on her. Initially, she thought it would be a school like any other and she did like she usually did: trying to make some new friends and all. But unfortunately, none of the other kids seemed to share this perspective. Not only this, but she found herself to be a quick-learner. She was a straight-A student and in the physical trainings, the best of the best. Ladybug got alone very quick and with time, she had gotten used to it. To her, this was the price to pay to be successful: and it actually paid off since she quickly got her own missions and her status in the Agency went up. 

If she could have had thoughts about living an entirely normal life… They faded really quick as she got more and more used to what it currently looked like. There were some aspects she wished she could have known or even encounter a little, but the fact that she grew up like she did didn’t bother her that much.

“Okay, we’re here. This is their house. Remember, just follow my lead and everything should go well.” She told him.

“Hold on. Why  _ your  _ lead? Don’t you trust my own capacities?” 

“It’s not that… But… OK, you know what? Do what you want. But you better sound like we’re interested in this car for real!”

“Relax, I got this!” He assured. 

With that, Adrien pressed the doorbell and the two of them waited. After a few seconds, the door opened on a very tall man. Ladybug’s eyes widened upon seeing him. He really was gigantic and seemed so… rough. But then, the guy smiled and it suddenly felt like the instant opposite. 

“Hi! You must be the couple who responded to my car’s announce!”

“Yup, that’s us! I’m Brigitte and here’s my boyfriend… Félix.” She said. 

“Yeah,  _ right.  _ My name  _ is  _ Félix!” He said in a higher pitch.

Ladybug stopped herself from facepalming. Not even one minute in and he already had trouble keeping up one easy lie? Usually, she would have hit him on the spot, but there was no way she could do that right now. Instead, she simply gripped his hand tighter to make him understand to stop talking like that. 

“Enchanté. I’m Ivan. Come on in! I see you have huge bags to carry, you can drop them in the entrance while we chat together.” 

With this, Ladybug finally let go of Adrien’s hand and stepped inside, immediately dropping the bags on the floor. Anyway, like it was always the case, she had some gadgets on her if an emergency occured. Adrien and her followed Ivan to the living room.

“Wow, it’s a very lovely house you have here! It’s so beautiful!” She told Ivan.

“Oh, thank you. All the credits go to my wife. She should join us in a few minutes she was in the bathroom and… Oh, there she is.”

Ladybug looked up to see a little woman with a pregnant belly coming their way. She had colourful braids in her hair and looked very cheerful.

“Hello, I’m Mylène! Nice to meet you…”

“Brigitte.” Said Ladybug.

“Ad- Félix. My name is Félix.”

Ladybug momentarily closed her eyes. He almost slipped out again. She knew what she was going to do once all of this was done: teach him how to properly hide a truth. 

“Alright. Now… Tell us more about the two of you other than why you’re interested in our car for the moment. Who are you exactly?”

“Huh…”

“We’re two students on a sabbatical year. We both have a year left before we get our licences in our respective fields and we simply wanted to slow down for a bit and… enjoy the world before we both get stuck in some job for the major part of our lives.”

“Y-Yeah! Exactly. That’s also why we currently are carrying many stuff. We’re backpackers. We wanted to travel together across Europe, because… Well…”

“Ah, young love. I get it! You two look so good together. A romantic trip just the two of you, then?” Asked Mylène.

“You got us figured out completely.” Giggled Ladybug before leaning on Adrien to make it seem more realistic. 

He stiffened for a moment, which made her look up to him. When his eyes lowered, she smiled, faking an adoring look. His eyes widened and instantly, he started to blush. She giggled once more, making herself sigh before wrapping one arm around him. 

“Awn, you two really are adorable! How long have you been together?”

“Two years. We met at school. Isn’t that right, my prince?” She asked while straightening herself.

This should be easy enough: after all, the fact they ‘met at school’ wasn’t totally a lie. 

“Yeah, exactly! You see…  _ My lady  _ here was lost and I figured she needed assistance to get wherever she had to be at that moment. So, after I helped her out, we bumped into each other a few days later at a bar and from there… the rest is History, as they say.”

Ladybug smiled and nodded: making it look to the couple like she was agreeing to what he was saying, but making Adrien understand he handled the story well. 

“That’s really a cute beginning. I wish the two of you the best.”

“Thank you very much!”

“That being said… Let’s now get back to business. What made you interested in our car?” Jumped in Ivan. 

“Oh! Huh, well, you see…”

“It’s to help us in our trip. Although hiking  _ is  _ fun and all… We doubt that walking that many kilometers will be easy. But, being students and all… We thought it was better to not buy a shiny new car as our first one. You get what I’m saying?” Said Adrien.

“Yes, I do. So… about that, I need to be sure you’re able to pay.”

“Don’t worry about that. We brought the exact amount you asked for in cash. After all, we’ve been planning this trip for a long while, so it was only responsible of us to plan our finances as well.” Added Ladybug. 

“Now, while it’s really pleasant to speak with the two of you… Can we actually see the car and, maybe, try it? We want to leave the town as soon as possible.”

“Of course! Follow me, it’s in my garage. Mylène, do you mind moving our main car from the driveway so we can get out?”

“I’m not sure I’ll be able to do it, honey… With my belly and all…”

“Maybe I can lend a hand. You boys go ahead with the driving test. I’ll park it on the street until you come back.”

“Huh… Are you  _ sure  _ you don’t want to be with me to do that, m’lady?”

“I’m sure. I  _ trust  _ your judgement and besides… I believe that you can do just fine on your own for a short while, huh?”

“Yeah… If you say so… You know best…”

“Alright, follow me, Félix.”

As the men got up to head in the garage, Ladybug followed Mylène outside. As Mylène unlocked the doors, Ladybug sat behind the wheel. 

“That’s one heck of a fancy car… It’s electric, right?”

“It is! That’s why we bought it, actually and also why we’re selling our Clio. Ivan and I didn’t want to welcome a new child into the world while having one bad habit in our lives.”

“I see… I… commend you for doing so! If we had the same option, I would have done the same thing.”

“So you’re also concerned with our planet’s future then?”

“Well… Of course! I try to do my part to save it and also the many living species that lives in it… But Félix and I don’t exactly have many options…”

“Don’t worry, I understand. Not everyone can afford to go green with everything. I mean, even Ivan and I. If it wasn’t for our jobs and all, we wouldn’t even have a car to begin with. But, we are still in need for one, so… The least we could do is use one that reduces the total emission…”

“We have to do what we have to do. It happens.”

Ladybug rearranged the seat and the mirrors quickly. Then, she went back, turning on the street and parking a few meters away from the house only. A few minutes later, she could see the Clio getting out on the street, with Adrien driving it. The assassin sighed, watching the car getting further away. She really crossed fingers in the hopes that those few minutes would be good and not dangerous. After all, she had no idea if there was any member of the Agency in this village yet. Exposing him this way was risky, but it added credibility to the current scenery. 

In the meantime, Mylène kept on talking with her, as they were waiting for the guys to get back. Ladybug faked interest for some topics, trying to be polite and not blow up her cover. Fortunately for her, the Clio returned soon enough and she put back the couple’s car in their driveway. She joined Adrien and Ivan as they both seemed to be talking about the car. 

“So, how was it?” She asked. 

“Exactly as we thought. This vehicle should answer to our needs. No pedal problem, no weird noise… The seats are comfy, the A/C works perfectly fine… The tires seem in good shape… Really, I have nothing negative to say about it.” He told her frankly. 

“We thought so. Ivan and I have always been careful with our. Our car is no exception.”

“Okay… So… No recent repairs, accident or anything that might concern us?” Asked Ladybug.

“No, the last time I’ve been to a garage was for the annual checkup, two months ago I believe? Frankly, in my personal experience, this car has never been a problem. And since we tried to not use it that much except when we head work, it has not rolled a whole lot of kilometers, yet.”

“It’s true, my lady. I checked the numbers.”

She nodded.

“Okay, so your car seems good enough… Does it also come with an emergency tire and the basic accessories?”

“There is a tire, yes. Also, there is a full bottle of windshield washer, cables if your battery runs out and you need to recharge it and you have several maps.”

“Is that so… That could be useful.”

“So… Do we have a deal?”

“Can we have a few minutes to discuss?” Asked Adrien.

“Of course. Take all the time you need.” Replied Mylène.

Taking Ivan by the hand, the couple walked away so Ladybug and Adrien could chat and discuss. The assassin waited until they were far enough before reporting her attention over to the blonde man.

“So, cut the crap. What did you think of it?”

“I’ve already said what I think of it…”

“Oh, so… That was real, then? Okay… Huh… What about the driving? Pleasant enough?”

“Well… Yeah. For what we need… I truly believe this car can do a pretty decent job. It’s not like we’re planning to use chaotic roads… Right?”

“We’ll try to stay out of them as much as possible and use the highways, since they’re the fastest way out. And since we’re running out of time… I guess we have to take it. I trust you, so you better not have a poor judgement about all of this.”

She did not wait for him to answer that she turned, heading for the spot where the couple went. Ladybug instantly forced a smile out of her lips and waited for Adrien to stand beside her.

“So… After a bit of a discussion between the two of us, your car seems like the perfect fit for what we currently want! We’ll take it.” She announced.

“Wonderful! Let’s head back inside, so we can finalise everything and start the administrative process so the government recognises this car as being yours.”

“Right. Let’s do that!” She said between gritted teeth. 

Adrien gave her an anxious look, but she brushed it off. She was handling this matter. Opening up her purse, she took out her Markov device, hiding it in her hand as the group entered the home. As the door closed, Ladybug revealed the device. 

“Put them to sleep.”

The device released a pink spray and immediately, the couple closed their eyes and started to fall. Adrien rushed to catch Mylène before she hit the ground.

“WHAT DID YOU DO??” He asked as he laid her down on the couch.

“Didn’t you hear the part when I said to put them to sleep?”

“I’m serious, Ladybug!”

“Relax! Really, they will wake up from a normal nap with absolutely no harm and no memory of when they fell asleep. Help me put Ivan on the other couch.”

He looked at her hesitantly, but sighed and helped her. As he was placed, Ladybug instructed Markov of what he had to do and he proceeded. 

“The spray also allows us to construct fake memories. Therefore, Markov is putting in their minds the fact that the sell was done legally, that we signed every paper needed… That sort of thing. When they will wake up, this should happen in like three hours at most, the only thing that will surprise them is the fact they fell asleep.”

“I see… So we’re taking the car just like that? What was the use of our conversation with them, then?”

“The spray can’t do anything without a basis. So, that’s what we did.”

“Okay… Does that mean we won’t pay them, though? Because that would be lame.”

Ladybug chuckled.

“Of course we’ll pay them. I’m an assassin, not a thief. Markov, are you done with the papers?”

“I am, Ladybug.” The robot replied while retracting its arms. 

The two of them headed to the paper and Ladybug showed Adrien how two fake signatures with the fake names: Brigitte Thavaud and Félix Mercier. Ladybug picked the sheet to place it on the kitchen counter with the exact amount of cash that was asked. 

“Okay, now, everything is set. Do you still have the keys with you?”

“No, Ivan took them back. Here, let me pick them up.”

While Adrien took out the keys, Ladybug returned in the main entrance to pick up the bags they left. She carried them out the door and put them on the backseat as soon as Adrien unlocked the doors, explaining in the meantime that it was better to put them here for quick access in case the situation required so. Then, the both of them entered the car and Adrien turned the key. 

“So… Where to?”

She brought up her fingers to her chin, thinking about their destination. From where they were, the nearest country could easily be Belgium, if not Luxembourg. Germany was also not very far from them… But maybe the best option was not to take those spots. But in the meantime, heading farther away in the way of Spain in the south of the country was not exactly the best idea either… It was too far and too risky, same went for Italy. Besides, she wanted to avoid Italy as much as possible. 

Then, her eyes widened in realisation.

“How do you feel about Switzerland?” She asked him.

“Huh… Switzerland seems fine to me.”

“Good, then… Let’s get rolling.”


	9. Fast and Furious

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hiya! It's been a while, but here's a new chapter! Enjoy!

Surprisingly enough, there was no much traffic. Adrien had been driving for two hours or so now and although there were other cars driving on this highway, it had so far been a very relaxing drive. On his right, Ladybug was currently watching the landscape of the French countryside and was not really talking much. She only paid him a few indications to get on this highway using a map, then told him he could put on any radio station he wanted since she didn’t mind. 

Adrien changed lanes to go a bit faster as a new song started. He gasped happily as he recognised the beat and eagerly started to sing the lyrics since he knew the song by heart.

“Are you seriously going to sing, right now?”

He looked slightly on the right to see that Ladybug was now looking right at him.

“Yeah? Why, don’t you like my voice? I’ve been told it is pretty good.”

“I’m not saying you have a bad singing voice… It’s just that you can’t exactly compete with Joe Dassin’s voice.”

“Oh, so you know some songs too?”

“Of course I do! It’s not because I grew up on a remote island that I was isolated from what was going on in the rest of the world… In fact, learning about pop culture and classic stuff was part of our training.”

“Oh, really? What was it like, training to be an assassin?”

She rolled her eyes.

“Do you really believe I say such information to just anyone? I’m sorry, but there are some things you just can’t know. Trust me, it’s better this way if you plan to go back to your ordinary life when all of this will be over.”

“I see… But that won’t stop me from singing  _ Dans les yeux d’Émilie _ ! It’s one of my all-time favourite songs.”

Just to demonstrate what he said, he took back from where he left and joined Dassin’s voice as he sung the chorus.

_ I, I had the sun _

_ Day and night in the eyes of Émilie _

_ I heated my life with her smile _

_ I, I had the sun _

_ Night and day in the eyes of love _

_ And melancholy in the sun of Émilie _

_ Became joy of life _

“Why is that song one of your favourites, though? It’s such a sad song.” She said. 

“Why do you say that?”

“Well… Dassin clearly states that Émilie is no longer his as the song goes on. And he refers to her as being the sun… I don’t know… I know I wouldn’t even be alive if the sun didn’t exist, so… For him to have his sun not here when he needs it…”

He reported his gaze to her for a second before he looked the road again. 

“I get what you’re saying. But that’s not how I see it, personally.”

With a pause, he continued.

“My mother’s name is Émilie. And… Well, you know that I have no idea what happened to her. Just that one day, she vanished without a trace or explanation. And even today, I still miss her. I know I always will. While it is bittersweet, I prefer remembering this joy i used to feel when we were together. And… Just thinking about it is enough to bring a smile on my lips, even when I’m sad. I know it’s not the same thing, but… It’s better than only remembering the sad memories. So, in a way, I feel very connected to those lyrics. And just like Dassin’s overall happy tone while he’s singing, I try to be the very same with  _ my  _ own Émilie.”

“I see…”

From the corner of his eye, he saw Ladybug turn her head to watch the landscape through the window. As he figured she was no longer in the mood to small talk, he reported his own attention on the road. For now, he knew where he was headed, so he didn’t need to bother Ladybug anymore. Besides, they were only a few other cars cruising beside and behind him: a black Ford, a blue Citroën and a white Mitsubishi. Quickly enough, the gas tank light turned to life and he started to look for the next exit. 

Upon finally seeing the sign, he turned on his blinker to change lanes, which he did smoothly. Adrien did not have the chance to drive very often as it wasn’t the easiest thing to do in the French capital, but he liked to think he wasn’t a bad driver. Seeing Ladybug did not let out a single complaint since he first sat behind the wheel, he mentally concurred. 

“Where are you going?” She asked as she felt the car take the exit. 

“We need to fill up the tank, it’s almost empty.”

“Already? Alright, guess we’ll also stop somewhere to grab a bite real quick. I’ll let you fill up the tank and I’ll go pay and ask for a little restaurant, or something similar.”

“Works for me.”

A few minutes later, Adrien pulled up beside a pump and stopped the car. Both he and Ladybug got out. He stretched for a second, then lift up the pump. 

“Full tank, right?”

“Of course.”

With a nod, he filled up the tank until he was full. Ladybug nudged him to get back inside the car and he complied, letting her go inside the little shop to pay. When she came back, she buckled her belt and gave him a few indications so they could head to a McDonald’s. There, they both headed inside to sit down and relax while eating a little. Their bellies full, they headed back to the car, with Ladybug taking the wheel this time. 

Adrien sighed, relaxing for a while until he looked through the mirror. Then, he frowned upon what he had in sight: a white Mitsubishi. He looked at it for a bit and was not able to not see the similarities.

“Huh… Ladybug?”

“Yes?”

“I think we’re being followed.”

She frowned.

“What do you mean? Are you sure?”

“Well… I’m pretty sure I saw this car before I got out of the highway, earlier. The white one, I mean. And now, it’s back.” 

“Really, let me look. Can you hold the wheel, please?” 

“Sure…”

Quickly unbuckling her seatbelt, she rose up from the seat, letting Adrien bend to grab the wheel. She hummed, then summoned Markov.

“Can you identify the two people in the car behind us?”

“Affirmative. These are Bunnix and Roi Singe.”

“Shit.”

She lowered herself and the seat. Quickly, she grab her mask, glued it to her face and her weapons.

“OK, Adrien? I need you to trust me.”

“Sure… What do you want me to do?”

“We’ll switch places.”

“Sorry if this seems out of place, but… How exactly are we supposed to do that? It’s not like we have much space.”

With this, Ladybug jammed the accelerator, which forced Adrien to swerve the wheel quickly to not hit any other car. Quickly, he saw the Mitsubishi pick up its speed as well.

“Just follow my lead. Oh, and if we  _ do _ get out of this pursuit alive, I’ll make sure to teach you some tricks. Your lack of knowledge really puts us at a disadvantage right now.”

With one hand, she unbuckled Adrien seatbelt. Then, giving the pedal one last push to make them speed up, then, she bend her legs, gets up as much as she can and gets on Adrien’s side, make sure not to step on his feet. Now that he had space, he jumps in the driver’s seat, buckling his belt and pressing his foot on the accelerator.

“OK, what now?”

“I need you to drive. Whatever happens, don’t look back. Just keep going!”

“You don’t want me to shake them off somehow?”

“With this many people on the highway? No, it’s too risky.”

“But how are we going to get rid of them?”

“I’m working on it.”

She was now looking through her bag, but then something hit the car and the back window exploded.

“Shit, they’re firing at us!” Said Adrien.

“I have an idea. Make sure to stay next to this heavy truck, alright?” She said while pointing to the one in front of them.

“OK, I trust you.”

Ladybug grabbed what she needed and opened up the window. Then, she got up and pulled herself out, climbing on the car’s roof.

“Oh, God… How did this get bad so quickly?” Asked Adrien to himself. 

He concentrated so he could grip tightly at the wheel: making sure to not make any sudden move. The next thing he knew was that Ladybug jumped and used a pick axe to climb on the container of the truck. He decided to stay where he was, to give her a bit of protection until she was fully on top. Giving him a thumbs up, he switched lanes, now making sure to stay on the left side of the truck. At this moment, he would have no idea what was happening if he had the window closed. But right now, he could hear Ladybug grunting, slashing as well as a male voice: Roi Singe himself. 

“Just give him up, LB. You don’t have to be collateral damage. It’s him we’re after, not you.”

“I know better than to believe you. As soon as you get your hands on him and on me, we’ll be dead.”

“But it doesn’t have to come down to this, don’t you see? I don’t want to hurt you… So please, just stand down and let us do our job. It’s not too late for you to come back. You’re one of the best in the Agency, do you really want to throw it all away for one frail guy?”

Adrien gritted his teeth. What did he mean, frail? Sure, he was no match for them yet, but he could always improve! Ladybug did not answer yet. But then, she did. 

“I’m sorry, but I can’t let you do that. He’s under my protection, as of now. I won’t repeat myself, turn around before you force me to hurt you.”

“It seems you leave me no choice… Very well, it was nice knowing you, but right now, it’s Show Time.”

They stopped talking and soon, Adrien was able to hear their pounding on the metallic container. He tried his best not to look, even as he heard Ladybug grunt. He heard slashes, punches, impact noises… But then, he had something else to take care of as the white car bumped into him, not planning to stop anytime soon. Adrien grunted and pushed the pedal, trying to put some distance between the two cars. Everytime, Bunnix would keep up with him, bumping into him harder. 

“I don’t know if this will work, but I’m out of options… Markov? Can you help?” 

Upon hearing its name, the device lit up. 

“I need some help. The car behind us isn’t planning on quitting. What can you do for that?”

“If you place me correctly, I could send out a light bright enough to temporarily blind her, sir. Although, with her mask, it’s not guaranteed to succeed. In fact, your chances of success are...”

“I need to try! Just tell me what to do and I’ll do it.”

Markov gave indications and Adrien did just as told. Then, he turned his head so he could watch the road again. The next moment, he heard the car right behind him brake suddenly and a moment later, he saw Roi Singe fall from the container, barely holding to it with one hand. Adrien couldn’t help himself but look as he saw Ladybug kneel, smile wickedly, then slash his fingers with one of her blades, cutting his fingers in one slick move. As he fell, he hit the car’s windshield, cracking it and rolled over the roof before continuing his descent. As he hit the white Mitsubishi, the car totally lost control and hit the barrier. 

“Oh my…”

He was cut off but Ladybug jumping on the roof, then slipping inside the car through the window once again. She was now disheveled, a huge cut on her arm and her shirt slit. She sighed as she wiped the blades of her weapons. 

“So much for this car… We can no longer keep it.” 

“But what are we going to do, then?”

“Don’t worry, according to the signs, we’re near someone I know. A possible ally. First though, we need to get rid of this car.”

“As in… We’re going to burn it down?”

“No. It would be too risky, not only for us, but for anyone else. It could explode. No, we’ll leave it to my friend. He’ll know what to do to cover our tracks.”

“OK, but, can I know who is this friend of yours first?”

“You’ll see quick enough. Take the next exit, we have to stay out of the highway for now.”

“As you wish, Ladybug.”

***

Nino stapled another sheet on one of the publicity panels. He had not slept ever since he found out that his best friend had disappeared. First, when he didn’t answer his texts, he was a bit worried but he thought that maybe he was occupied. But then, he had not answered them in two days. Nino did what he thought was best: go and see thing for himself. That’s when he noticed his empty window and called the police, finding that something was not right. 

They jammed the door to his flat, and then… Nothing. Adrien wasn’t there, of course, but everything was in place, seemingly untouched. Except for one thing: he had left a letter saying he was leaving. Where? He didn’t say, but… The most weird thing out of it was that not only he left without any form of warning, but he also left his keys, wallet and phone behind him. 

And Nino knew his best friend too much to know this wasn’t like him at all. Something was going on. Something happened to Adrien, he was sure of it. And until he could find some answers, he would continue to look for him. 

“Hi, have you seen my- Have you seen my friend Adrien? No… Hello, have you-”

Nino sighed as he kept being ignored by every single person he came across in the street. He sat down, put the stack of sheets next to him and put his face in his hands.

“Where are you, dude?”

“Woah, you okay, buddy?”

He looked up and was momentarily starstruck upon seeing who asked him this question. A beautiful girl, with heart-shaped lips, brown hair and red tips and hazel eyes. 

“Not really… I’m looking for my friend. He’s missing and I’m really worried.”

“Is that so? That’s unfortunate. What’s his name?”

“Adrien Agreste. Do you know him? Have you seen him?”

He showed her his picture, the girl looked at it for a few seconds before shaking her head.

“I’m afraid I haven’t. I’m sorry, you must feel horrible.”

“I’m really scared, actually. I think something bad might have happened to him.”

“Something bad? Like what?”

“I don’t know exactly… But I will find out. I will do whatever it takes to find him and bring him home.”

The girl nodded, than smiled.

“Here, let me help you with your searching process. You look like you could use a hand… Or two.”

“That… That would be great, actually. Thanks!”

He split the stack in half and handed her one of them.

“But, hey. You haven’t told me your name.”

“You haven’t told me yours either, cutie.” She said with a wink.

Nino felt his cheeks burn, but he still replied.

“I’m Nino. Now that you know my name, care to tell me yours?”

The girl let out a smirk before replying as well.

“You may call me… Rena.”


End file.
